Make A Wish
by ThatWriterGirlWWE
Summary: Roman Reigns, now cancer free, is back! While reclaiming his yard he finds some new faces. He unknowingly has more in common with one than he thinks. Even when life laid them bare, they still remain. Two survivors find happiness, healing, and maybe even love. OC/Roman Reigns.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I'm not sure how this story will be received since I myself haven't experienced the subject of it and I don't want to offend those who have/are experiencing it so I'm prepared to delete it, if necessary…**

* * *

Robyn or _Robbie _as her friends called her remembered the night of October 22, 2018 like it was yesterday. '_My real name is Joe and I've been living with leukemia for 11 years and unfortunately it's back…"_

She also remembered the fallout of it on social media and even in her own locker room down at NXT. One thing that stuck out to her the most was people's disbelief that it could happen to Roman. _Cancer? How could this be? He's face of the company?_ The thought of the body of this handsome, vibrant man in the prime of his life betraying him seemed impossible to some.

The show was definitely not the same but according to the quote, _it must go on. _At some point Mr. McMahon decided that the rosters needed fresh blood and that's where she along with Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross and a lot of NXT male superstars came in. Lacey was getting the most airtime and Nikki got to participate in the Rumble and Elimination but Robbie was bounced between Raw and Smackdown participating in random tag matches but for the most part, she performed in dark matches before the show, occasionally taped throwaway matches for Main Event.

She knew backstage would be hectic tonight because of two big events: the return of Roman Reigns and Ric Flair's birthday.

Roman arrived about two hours before show time and people swarmed him. Robbie hung back in the shadows. He was coming back to people he knew and had bonds with and Robbie would feel out of place approaching him as a new face while he was busy catching up with the others. She hadn't personally met him but by all account he was a great man, husband, father, leader, role model and all around stand up guy.

While Ric was supposedly having an on air party tonight, there was one already set up for him backstage and that's where she went off to. Pretty soon Roman made his way in there and once again, he was surrounded before he had both feet in the door. The difference between being out in the open of the backstage area and being in an isolated room became crystal clear – there was only one way to escape and Roman happened to be standing by it.

Robbie took a deep breath and stood knowing that it was probably better to go up to him rather than have him approach her. According to backstage etiquette, it was customary for the new wrestler to introduce themselves to veteran wrestlers. Her plan was to say a quick hello and shake his hand before letting him get back to his conversations but it was just her luck that the crowd around him disbanded by the time she made it across the room so when he finally spotted her she had his full attention. He seemed to check her out without being obvious but she noticed. She knew she was attractive at 25 years of age, 5'8, long light brown hair and green eyed exotic beauty.

Finally, she was face to face with him. He was a gorgeous man. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath through her nose. She reached her hand out to shake his all while trying to think of what to say. She wanted desperately to say the right words or at least something interesting or clever but the only thing that left her mouth was, "Hi, I'm R-Robbie, Robyn, uh, Robbie."

"Hi, R-Robbie, Robyn, uh Robbie," he greeted, shaking her hand. Great, he was mocking her. "I'm Joe. I'm good with faces and I don't remember yours before I left."

"Yeah, I was brought up from NXT during your absence," she replied.

"Well thank you for doing your part to hold down the fort."

"Hardly," she snorted. "Trust me, I'm not important."

He shook his head. "Everyone here is important. I'm just a member of the team like you. You'll be traveling 300 a days a year, training every day, maintaining a strict diet, a fighting through pain just like I am."

"I guess you're right," she smiled.

"Are you from the indies or homegrown?"

"Indies, kind of but not really. I went to a wrestling school for about a year and had like 3 indie matches before WWE snatched me up and then I continued to learn down at the performance center for 2 years so indie born, WWE perfected I'd say," she shrugged.

"That's cool," he nodded. "Well I got places to be, people see so unless there's something more I have to be going. It was nice meeting you, Robbie."

"I do want to say that you look amazing," she blurted and he smirked. Amazing definitely wasn't the word she was going for but it was out there now and it was time to make her exit before she said anything else. "It was nice meeting you, too, Joe."

"It wasn't so bad, huh?" he commented as she turned to walk away.

"What?"

"Meeting me. I saw you trying to avoid me earlier and you probably would've done the same thing in here if I wasn't basically blocking the door," he chuckled.

Robbie was mortified. The only thing she knew to do was explain herself without looking like a weirdo loner. "It wasn't that I was trying to avoid you but I didn't think now was the time to host an impromptu meet and greet with you being pulled in 30 different directions if you understand what I'm saying."

"Yeah, I understand," he nodded. "Well, I'll see you around."

Robbie dressed in her gear that consisted of a small green spandex trunks with a matching pink crop top with green trimming to wrestle a match on Main Event against Mickie James before Raw kicked off.

'_"Approaching the ring from Brooklyn, New York, Robyn!" _

The sympathy claps and cheers Robbie received when she walked to the ring annoyed her but hey, at least it was a reaction.

It started as a standard match and transitioned into some cool sequences but the turning point came when Mickie went for a Mick Kick, but Robbie caught it and dropped Mickie with a German suplex to the floor. Robbie went to the top rope to capitalize on it with a shooting star press but unfortunately for her Mickie rolled out of the way leaving her to hit the floor which she sold. Mickie rolled Robbie back in the ring and went for the cover. 1...2...3.

When Robbie pushed through the curtains to enter gorilla, Roman was standing there which made sense because he was kicking off Raw with his announcement. He seemed nervous but wasn't letting it show.

"You were pretty good there. I'm only saying 'pretty' because I'm sure a rushed 5 minute match didn't show your full potential," he clarified.

"Thanks and not to sound cocky but that's definitely not all I have to offer," she confidently replied. "It's a great crowd out there so I guess we warmed them up for you. I don't know whether the news is good or bad but good luck out there."

There was not a monitor backstage unwatched as Roman made his entrance, going around touching hands with every fan ringside and then he hugged his sister and mother. It was a beautiful sight to see and she saw tears being wiped backstage as they observed.

He thanked the crowd and talked about his religion. This officially put her at ease that whatever he said next would be positive. "I'm in remission, y'all."

The sounds around her were deafening as everyone backstage exploded with cheers and shouts of joy.

Later, she was showered, packed up and ready to leave during Bayley's match against Nia. She dragged her bags out of the women's locker room.

"Hey, Robbie, where are you going?" Stephanie asked, approached.

"I was planning on beating traffic so I could head back to the hotel," she answered. "I know it's Ric's birthday but I kind of already celebrated it backstage."

"Actually, we want the entire roster on the ramp during this segment. _No exceptions_," Stephanie replied, not leaving it up for discussion. "We'll be heading out during the commercial break after this match is over.."

"Alright," Robbie sighed as Stephanie walked away.

She was a few feet away from the locker room when she heard a voice call her name. When she turned around Roman was walking toward her with purpose. "Hey?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" his expression was serious.

"Tell you what?" she asked. She had a feeling of what he was referring to but waited before divulging.

He tilted his head. "You know what, Robbie. Let's not play around about this. From what I've just been told, you're a former WWE Make-A-Wish kid and cancer survivor."

It was true. Shortly before Robyn Nelson turned 9 she had been diagnosed with a form of cancer. She stopped going to school and lost most of her hair and weight. One thing that kept her going was wanting to live to see another Monday for the sole purpose of watching RAW. Her fantasy was to become a "Diva" but because of her condition she knew it wasn't realistic. Her parents did the next best thing and contacted Make-A-Wish and her wish was to meet Trish. Robbie was 10 years old.

Soon after that she went into remission only for it come back when she was 14. While her friends blossomed, went on dates and did teen things she was back in a hospital bed. She had hit rock bottom and went into a very dark place until she remembered her old purpose: _live to see another Monday_. It had been a long hard fight, but she and her family stuck with it. At 16, she went into remission once again.

She seemed to live life thereafter in constant paranoia, always looking over her shoulder waiting for it to return. Senior prom, nothing. Graduation, nothing. Freshman year at college, nothing. Joined a sorority, nothing. Sophomore year, nothing. It'd been 4 years and she finally relaxed and in doing so she realized that her college major wasn't what she wanted to do with her life. Her dream was to become a wrestler and she'd pursue it no matter what. She dropped out of college and her parents supported her decision.

Robbie blinked snapping back into reality. "So in order for you to find that out you either asked about me or Googled me. Which was it?"

"I kind of asked about all the new faces but what I heard about you was the most interesting," he replied.

"I didn't say anything because it would've been an awkward conversation. '_Hey, you have cancer, I had cancer. Yay, we have something in common!'_ so I just kept it to myself," she admitted.

"That's not awkward at all, it's something to be celebrated," he stated. "How long has it been for you?"

"9 years, it'll be 10 in November! Also, keep in mind this was prior to your announcement so me '_celebrating_' would've been insensitive and I would've felt bad if you delivered bad news," she explained. "Besides, it wasn't my decision to reveal it anyway. A few weeks after your first announcement, fans dug up my old Facebook account and found a throwback Thursday pic of me and Trish. We were posing in front of a Make-A-Wish banner and I was wearing a wig. The picture started circulating so WWE couldn't pass up a full circle moment by writing a '_Former WWE Make-A-Wish kid grows up to become WWE Superstar'_ article. They had Trish come back for a photoshoot with me and everything."

"I'm sorry to hear that it happened that way," he reached out to comfort her by rubbing her shoulder.

"It's okay. It wasn't that I was ashamed or anything. Obviously, telling my story will give young WWE fans who are going through it right now hope that they too can beat this and stand where I am right now. My issue was not wanting people to feel sorry for me and I didn't want fans to feel obligated to cheer me. Obviously you can't boo a former Make-A-Wish kid, well you can but I'm sure it would be frowned upon."

"You have a great look and an impressive moveset from what I've seen so I'm sure you would've gotten over with the crowd on your own anyway."

"I hope you're right. My call up was so random. I understand Nikki's callup and Lacey has her character down plus she's a former marine. For me it felt like they were piggybacking off of your announcement and the publicity it received like '_hey, she had cancer, too. I'm sure that'll look good in a press release. Let's bring her up with the others_," and so here I am."

"Well in that case, you should be thanking me for the pay raise, new experiences and opportunity to see the world when we travel…" he mumbled.

"Yeah, I am complaining and it does sound ridic, huh?" she snorted. "I was surprised to see you back out there in the ring."

"I wanted to show the fans who are still concerned about me through action that I'm doing better by getting involved with some physicality."

"When the news about me was exposed, the next time in the ring I was thrown around as gingerly and soft as possible. The match was horrible because of how slow it was. It was as if she thought me taking a hard bump would-"

"-hurt you or worse, bring you out of remission," he finished her sentence. "That's my biggest fear, being treated differently now in the ring by my opponents."

"Exactly," she agreed.

"Obviously I'll have to take it slow during my first few matches because of ring rust and my energy levels have to get used to matches again but after that I'll be good to go."

"Do you have to go through physiotherapy for cancer recovery to get your strength back?"

"I was doing light training during treatment once I cleared it with my doctor so I'm doing pretty well in that department but I'll still need to gradually pick up muscle mass and weight in the coming months," he noted. "So no physical therapy but I've been doing meditation as mental therapy."

"I'd also recommend yoga as another form of mental therapy. You're huge though so I can't really imagine you in any poses besides downward dog since you're The Big..err, nevermind," she cringed, cutting her corny joke short.

He laughed anyway. "I got to go. Not only because my mom and sister are here so I'm going to see them back to the hotel."

"Oh? Does Stephanie know you're leaving? She said we all had to be on stage, _no exceptions_ but I guess you can catch a break since it's your first night back."

"I wouldn't mind going out there but I'm going to be on Good Morning America tomorrow so I have to catch a late flight to New York tonight," he replied.

"Okay, well, if you ever need someone to talk to who can understand where you're coming from, I'm here," she offered.

"What's your number?" he asked, pulling an iPhone out of his back pocket.

"Oh, I meant like backstage but okay," she cleared her throat before calling out the digits. He keyed it in and called because her phone vibrated in her hand before he disconnected. The light hit his wedding band as he lowered his phone. She was shocked because publicly he seemed to be a great husband but this may prove otherwise.

"There you go, now you have my number a well!" he said with a smile.

She sighed. "Can I say something?"

"Go ahead."

"I know exchanging numbers doesn't mean anything but you're married with 3 kids and I don't know if I'll feel comfortable communicating with you like that. You can say it's innocent or we're just texting all you want but let's be honest, that's usually how these things start. A text here, a text there, a few calls, facetiming and soon we'll be exchanging nudes. I'm sorry but I don't think it's worth it," she shook her head.

Roman looked around. "Can you keep a secret?"

Robbie raised a brow. "Sure?"

"My wife and I have been separated since August of last year. We had every intention of filing for divorce as soon as we figured out how to break the news to our daughter. Nothing scandalous happened as a matter of fact she's my best friend but we were young when we got together and just grew apart so while we still love each other, we're not _in_ love with each other anymore. Two months later, I found out that my cancer returned and she was there for me every step of the way, as a friend. We still live in the same house and we're co-parents to our children. The divorce will eventually happen but it's on hold for now. Imagine if the '_Roman Reigns is now in remission'_ headlines were followed up with '_Roman Reigns is going through a divorce' _headlines within the next few months. It would be a PR nightmare because the story would be sensationalized to hell and back on social media. '_He must've been having an affair with one of the female Superstars,' _or worse '_How dare he leave his wife right after she stood by his side through his second battle with leukemia!'_ I'm trying to use my platform to spread awareness and I can't do that if the world thinks I'm an asshole who abandoned my wife immediately after the most trying period of my life. Galina understands this so for now we're keeping up appearances," he said, pointing to his wedding ring. "It's complicated so I'll understand if you don't want to get involved."

It was definitely complicated but he did have a point. She herself was judging him before he revealed their relationship status so she can't imagine the things that would be said about him if he and his wife suddenly divorced after appearing so happy and so normal. Angry smarks who never liked him and still don't would eat this up just to have a reason to boo him again. This was something she'd have to think long and hard about but for now, "I understand."

He seemed to sigh in relief. "Okay and like I said, I'm trying to keep up appearances so I think it's best if no one knows about this."

"Trust me, I don't want to be falsely labeled a home wrecker especially after witnessing how fans attacked Carmella before finding out that Corey and his wife were actually in the process of divorcing," she shivered.

"I don't know if this will become something or not but for right now I like your vibe, you're beautiful and your story has touched me and not because of my own story," he said, reaching for her hand.

"I feel the exact same way," she glanced at the monitor. Bayley was pinning Nia. "Oh shit."

"What?" his brows knitted in confusion.

"Steph said that we were going to move to the ramp during the commercial break after this match was over so I think we better go our separate ways before we get exposed already," Robbie advised.

"Good looking out," Roman backed away, creating space between them and right on time because she heard multiple sets of footsteps advancing toward them.


	2. Chapter 2

Robbie swung her legs over the edge of the exam table impatiently waiting in the oncologist's office Friday morning. When she went into remission at 16 she'd fearfully go every week even though the doctor told her that it wasn't necessary, when she went to college it was at least once a month just to be safe. She became relaxed once she started training for wrestling and went whenever she felt like it which would sometimes be up to 9 months. Roman's cancer returning after 11 years scared her into doing better.

She remembered how much she despised overly dramatic doctors when hers reentered the room in silence, sat down and began looking through documents without addressing her. Leaving a patient in suspense wasn't really appropriate in this situation.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "The biopsy, scans, blood tests and samples have all come back negative. You are looking good, Ms. Nelson."

Relief washed over her, pushing her anxiety aside. "Thank you."

"I'll see you again for a follow-up appointment in 6 months," he said, writing her a slip.

"6?!" she questioned. "I need something sooner like this time next month!"

"Robyn, according to your medical records, you stopped treatments 9 years ago. In general, people return to the doctor for follow-up appointments every 3 to 4 months during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment and once or twice a year after that," he explained.

"I'm well aware of that but I used to have this paranoia about my cancer returning and now that feeling is back. You're saying 6 months but what if it returns next month and I get no signs or symptoms? And when it's time for my appointment it's spread and too advanced to be treated? Most people don't get a second chance, let alone a third chance to beat this!" Robbie was talking fast, almost babbling when she said this. She felt on the brink of a full-fledged panic attack.

"Breathe, Robyn, breathe!" her doctor commanded. Robbie complied, her chest expanding and stomach contracting as she drew in air.

"Sorry about that," she rubbed her temples.

"It's okay, fear of recurrence is a common concern for many who survive cancer but you can't let that fear stop you from living your life."

"I know, but like I said, I was doing much better with my paranoia but something happened recently with a coworker that triggered me. I know I don't _have_ to be here every month but with the career I have, I think it's better to be safe than sorry," she reasoned.

"Well in that case, I'll see you next month," he replied.

**Him: How did it go?**

She had to save Roman's contact under 'Him' because of his current situation. She didn't want anyone looking over her shoulder and seeing 'Joe' or 'Roman' on her phone.

**Robbie: All clear!**

She decided to omit her meltdown. He was probably going through his own private fears and she wasn't going to bother him with hers.

**Him: That's great**.

**Robbie: Yep, I'm on my way home to get my bags and head to the airport for the live event tonight.**

**Him: Never thought about how much I missed house shows until you mentioned it. :-/**

**Robbie: Oh, sorry….**

**Him: Lol, don't apologize. I'll be doing them again soon enough. For now I'm just doing Raw until I feel up to live events and full time travel again.**

They'd been communicating all week. Tuesday and Wednesday they got to know each other better via text. Thursday he finally called and they spent hours on the phone. The call started as a general conversation but soon they were joking and soon after that he began flirting which she reciprocated.

She did have her reservations about his separation though. How did she know it was real? It wouldn't be the first time a married man lied about being separated from his wife just so he could have an affair on the side only for the other woman to find out the truth when it was too late.

Even if the separation is legit, she still saw a few problems. They still lived together so what if they fell in love again? What if Jojo found out that her parents were separated and convinced them to reconcile? What if Roman only separated because he wanted to live life as a bachelor for a while to 'find himself' before going back to Galina in the end?

Robbie shrieked when someone clapped their hands together once loudly in her face to get her attention. It was Sasha. "Huh? What?"

"We've been here for almost 2 hours and your head has been down texting the whole time," Sasha commented. "You must've found a boyfriend...or girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Robbie raised a brow. "Where did that come from?"

"The men's lockerroom," Liv replied. "Apparently you don't respond to their flirting attempts and scrolling through your Insta, you don't have a boyfriend."

Robbie cleared her throat. "I know it's rare in this social media and attention whore era but I'm just a private person. That being said, I like men and _only_ men... just not this bunch."

"You're right about that. In the current locker room I can count on five fingers how many decent, mature, relationship worthy men we have," Alicia chimed in. "Actually, make that four because I included Roman in my head and he doesn't count since he's married."

"Speaking of Roman, I didn't notice then because I was too excited over his good news but did anyone notice when he went down the line hugging his family that his wife wasn't there?" Bayley inquired.

"I noticed but I didn't find it strange because it was a school night and from what I've noticed she usually doesn't come out unless the show is in Tampa where they live or a big pay per view like Mania or Summerslam. His dad wasn't there either. I doubt anything's wrong especially when he's still wearing his wedding ring," Nattie said. "They seem to be one of the few wrestler/outsider couples who are solid. He's a great husband and faithful. I've personally witnessed him turn down rats, overzealous fans and I'm not going to call any names or say which roster they're on but yeah, he's turned down a few of our coworkers too."

Robyn silently wondered how they would react when the man they spoke so highly of announced his divorce. She would no doubt have to face competition when it became known that he was available but by then her spot in his life should be secure.

**Him: Is it over?**

**Robbie: Yup. Leaving now.**

**Him: Call me when u get to the hotel.**

**Robbie: Will do.**

* * *

Roman walked back in the house early Monday morning after dropping Jojo off at school. His sons were asleep when he left but now they were planted in front of the television watching some children's program. He'd already packed his bags and they were still where he left them in the living room.

He entered the kitchen to find Galina standing over the stove.

Apparently she heard his footsteps because without turning around, she instructed him to, "sit down and eat before you go."

"You know, I've been thinking about something…"

"What's that?" she asked, sitting a plate of food in front of him.

He appreciated that she still did stuff like this for him because technically she didn't have to anymore. He never thought he'd be without her. As a Christian man he took his vows seriously but like everything else in life, marriage was unpredictable. The good thing was the split was mutual. They began their relationship as friends at Georgia Tech and they'd end their relationship as friends. He slept in a separate bedroom and they lived like roommates. Their children were the most important people in their lives and married or not, they would have two parents who loved each other.

"Ever since the boys were born I've been gone 4 days a week and sometimes 2 weeks straight on the international tours. They weren't used to having me all the time. With the exception of those 2 weeks I spent in Hawaii filming Hobbs and Shaw, I've been here with them for four months straight. Now I have to leave them again," he replied, feeling sadness wash over him.

"I thought about that too. After Jojo was born she had you around for years until you went up to the main roster so that bond is stable and unlike the twins, she's old enough to understand that you have to-" Galina cut her sentence short when his phone dinged and he picked it up.

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Can't decide. You pick.**

Roman zoomed in on 4 dresses of different lengths and styles laid out across her hotel bed.

**Joe: Definitely blue.**

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Had a feeling you'd like that one. ;-) See u tonight. **

Galina cleared her throat. "I know your phone has been blowing up ever since your announcement but judging by that smirk on your face something tells me this isn't a typical, _'I'm so happy for you, welcome back' _text. Girlfriend?"

"Not yet," he admitted, having no reason to lie.

"Oh, so it _is _a love interest?"she asked, curiously.

"Yeah, it's new. We're just talking and getting to know each other right now," he shrugged.

"Someone you met during the last 4 months?"

"No, she's backstage…"

Galina dropped her fork on the floor with a loud clank. "Please don't tell me it's someone who has been smiling in my face every time I was backstage while secretly lusting after my husband the entire time. I know we have to move on but I can't be like Amy, Corey and Carmella. Imagine unknowingly having your replacement sending birthday messages to your daughter. Yikes."

"G, no one could ever replace you after all we've been through and no, you've never met this girl," he shook his head.

"Good," she placed her hand on her chest and sighed in relief before picking up her phone. "What's her name so I can check her out on Instagram. You can date whoever you want but you can't bring just anyone around our kids. Please don't be _one of those_ divorcees that rebound with an 18 year old who looks like a pornstar."

"Bringing her around our kids isn't even an option right now. I told you we're just getting to know each other. She's 25 and shares no likeness to a pornstar. I'm also not ready to give up the name yet. Just know that my judgement is good and as of right now, I think she's a solid person."

"That's great. I'm happy for you," she placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed. "But don't think this is over. If you and this girl are still 'getting to know each other' in a month you have to identify her."

"That's fair enough. I think it's time for me to go," he said, looking down at his watch. He motioned for her to come around the table and they hugged.

"Boys, come say goodbye to daddy," Galina called for the twins.

Roman made it to the arena and it was back to business. He was ready to get back in the ring and was told that he already had a match locked in at Fastlane. He went to put his bags down in the locker room before coming back out.

He spotted Robyn talking to one of the other NXT callups before she noticed him. _The dress. _It was sexy but still conservative enough to wear backstage. The dress didn't show much cleavage, which was fine because it fit snugly over her breast. The feature that got his heart racing and rushed blood to his nether regions and was the reason he picked it though was the slit on the right side that began by her knee and ended mid-thigh. Robyn briefly glanced up and caught his eye. She gave him a shy smile before averting her eyes and carrying on with her conversation. The chat didn't last much longer before she turned. He didn't know if she put an extra twist in her walk because he was watching but he liked what he saw. His eyes were fixated on her ass when he heard a throat clear.

"Life's not fair huh?" Seth asked by his side.

"W-What?" Roman was flustered knowing he'd been caught staring. Thankfully, Seth, a man he considered to be his brother wasn't going to say anything.

"For someone who looks like that to play for the other team. I thought Sonya was pretty hot but Robyn has taken the sexy lesbian crown."

"Wait, Robyn is a lesbian?" Roman's head snapped to Rollins in disbelief. She seemed legitimately interested in him so she had to be bisexual at the very least.

"Yeah," Seth confirmed with a nod. "Most of us have tried with no luck."

"So because she isn't interested she's a lesbian?" he snorted, shaking his head.

"All I'm saying is I know people have types and preferences but we literally have a guy in the locker room that fits every description: The All American guy, the black guy, the mysterious guy, the pretty boy, tattooed guy, muscle heads, you name it. The only thing we don't have in our locker room is a woman...and that's the problem," Seth concluded.

"That's ridiculous but while you ponder on that, I'm going to see what's up in catering," Roman said, walking away.

There weren't a lot of people in there because it was still early in the evening. He spotted Robyn analyzing the dessert table and casually walked up beside her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hmm?" she seemed confused. "Are we reenacting last week?"

"No, this is something different. I just heard that you were a lesbian. How long were you going to string me along?" he queried, sounding amused.

Robyn laughed and then chuckled until she was done. "I can't even! Apparently the boys have been spreading this rumor for a while because the girls told me about it this weekend. 'How _dare_ that new girl not make herself available to us men! She _must _to be a lesbian.' The entitlement is strong. Now that you've returned you really need to get your locker room back in order, Mr. Lockerroom Leader."

"You aren't the first person who has told me that," he replied.

"Excuse me guys," one of the preformers from 205 Live squeezed in between them to grab a few cookies and go.

When Roman's eyes darted around the room he saw that people were slowly starting to file in. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Joe, you've been standing here staring down at desserts for almost 5 minutes. If you walk away empty handed it's going to look suspicious," Robyn pointed out.

"Damn, between warning me about the roster approaching and this, you're really on top of our arrangement," he grabbed a slice of chocolate cake.

"Of course. It affects me too if we get outted," she replied. "And keep in mind that people are much harder on the woman than they are the man in these situations especially if they don't know the full story. My career is just starting, I'm not looking for a scarlet letter."

"Philly is a smark town, Joe so don't take it personal if you get a few boos out there tonight," a producer warned Roman in gorilla.

"I don't care about booing, never have. If they wanna boo me, boo me. I just want to be out there," he replied.

The RAW intro played and his theme hit. When he ducked in front of the curtains his reception was just as warm as it was last week. This was his first segment of the night and the goal was to, "get the band back together."

* * *

That was it, after many attempts tonight, The Shield was back together and Robyn watched from a monitor. The rest of the show came and went.

Not knowing anyone else well enough to ride with, she was still tagging along with Lacey and Nikki Cross who were already loading their bags in the trunk as she walked through the dark parking lot.

She could hear footsteps catching up to her from behind. "We've got to stop meeting like this and I don't mean that in the cute way, I'm serious. People are going to start wondering what business we have with each other if we're seen talking alone all the time."

"I think as long as we aren't making out or dry humping against the wall, they'll give us a pass seeing as the two of us have something in common that they don't. Do you want to come to my room when we make it to the hotel?"

"Whoa there!" Robyn stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as she stared at him.

"Oh, no, not for that. Just to hang out. Why text or call when we'll literally be under the same roof?"

Robyn thought about it for a second and realized he did have a point. "Okay."

He slid a keycard in her hand and called out his room number. "I don't care what time you come just make sure the halls are clear."

By the time she showered, changed into pajamas and checked social media it was almost 1 AM. She stared at the card she'd dropped on her bed. A part of her wanted to go but she was still cautious as thoughts swam through her head. Phone chemistry and in-person chemistry were different. They'd had short face to face conversations but what if they didn't click in each other's company for an extended period of time. What if he wanted sex? She couldn't especially without having clear transparency on his current situation. She also wondered why he hadn't contacted her yet if he really wanted her there. It had been over an hour since they made it. The only way to get those answers and more was to go to him.

Opening the door, she peeked her head out to look both ways. It was clear. She quickly made her way up the hallway and thought she was home free until the elevator on the other end of the hall opened. Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin were staggering and holding each other up which was a sign that they hit a local bar after the show. The distance between them closed and she tried to act casual.

"Where are you going?" Corbin asked.

"I got kind of hungry so I'm about to see what's open because I want to eat," Robyn shrugged.

"In pajamas?" Drew raised a brow.

"With no purse, money or phone in sight," Baron added, giving her a knowing look.

"As a matter of fact the only thing in your hand appears to be two keycards," Drew noticed. "_Hmm_."

"Uh…" Robyn hesitated, trying to come up with something to say.

"Don't worry about it. We're so drunk we probably won't even remember this in the morning," Drew replied, winking.

"Can we at least watch?" Baron asked and they laughed, continuing their path down the hall. She was confused by the comment at first until realizing they probably thought she was getting ready to engage in girl on girl action. She also realized saying that she was 'hungry'and was about to 'see what's open because I want to eat' could've easily been interpreted as a double entendre or sexual innuendo in the drunken male mind.

She passed Roman's room because Drew and Corbin were not yet in there's. She rode the elevator up to the floor above and then back down. She knocked once just to warn him that she was coming in before inserting the key. Roman was sitting in bed, scrolling on his iPad. He looked tired and she remembered that he was in multiple segments tonight, one involving him taking moves. She hoped he wasn't pushing himself too hard and rushing back into in-ring action prematurely just to prove that he was okay.

"If you hear another lesbian rumor about me in the men's locker room next week, disregard it. I don't know what I have to do at this point to prove I'm straight."

"Make up a boyfriend if you have to," he shrugged. "Honestly I thought you weren't coming and I was getting ready to turn off the lights."

"Why didn't you text me?"

"Because then I'd feel like I was pressuring you into coming. I'm not going to lie though, when I asked you to come to my room earlier tonight you looked frightened and panicked so I thought, 'hmm, maybe she _is _a lesbian," he joked. "Then because you reacted that way when you thought I was inviting you for sex another thought was wondering if you were a virgin."

"Neither, I actually lost my virginity at 14…"

"What?" Roman's brows shot up.

"That's the age my cancer came back and my mom made me go to this teen cancer support group. A boy in the group who claimed to only have 3 months left said that his biggest fear was dying a virgin and I was like, 'omg, I may die a virgin too' so later I suggested that we lose our virginities to each other. He was my first and as it turns out I was his seventh because he went around to different groups scamming other girls too. Oh yeah, the 3 months prognosis was bullshit because he was already cured."

Roman blinked, speechless. "That's wild."

"Update: he ended up on the sex offender registry because he continued his predatory behavior into adulthood. I didn't have sex again until I was in college," she said. "But back on topic, yes, when you invited me to your room my mind automatically went to sex. I was nervous about that but not because I don't want you or anything. It's just that, I'm not sure if…nevermind."

"What? Talk to me?"

"Okay, here goes. I'm not accusing you of being a liar but I need more information about your _alleged _separation. Either way, I'd still be sleeping with a married man but I'd feel better knowing that you were only married on paper instead of _married_ married if that makes sense."

"It makes sense and I understand you being cautious especially after you've been scammed this way before with that guy. I'm not about to call Galina and have her to confirm it but I'll ask you this: what time did we get off the phone Thursday night?"

She shrugged, not sure where he was going with this. "I don't know, like 3."

"Exactly, if I was a _married _married man and had a wife next to me in bed do you think she'd allow me to stay on the phone until 3 talking to another woman?" he asked.

"No, I'm sure she wouldn't. I didn't even think about that."

"Now that that's settled, did I thank you for wearing that dress tonight?"

"The best part about it is I stayed in it all night long and didn't even have to take it off to change into any gear! Yay! she sarcastically exclaimed.

"Do you want me to talk to Vince and put in a good word for you?" he offered. "Everything seems to be lined up already in the women's division going into Mania but there's always after."

"Absolutely not! Let's say this thing between us turns into something, I get a push out of nowhere and you get divorced. Once people find out that we're dating you already know what they're going to say. I don't want fans thinking the man I'm getting under is the reason why I'm getting over. I also don't want to be Nikki Bella'd where every feud I'm involved in you're brought up as a way to discredit me. Push or no push, I want it to happen without interference."

"I respect that," he yawned.

"One more thing before things get too deep. Are you even ready to jump back into a relationship if this turns into one? I don't want to waste my time on something you only view as casual."

"Yes," he answered before continuing. "We separated in August. Between then and October I had 2 months to make moves but I wanted to wait. When some men get out of a long term relationship they're eager to get back on the scene and make up for lost time and things they feel like they missed out on while in a relationship. That leads to them bringing home a different woman every night, hitting up strip clubs and acting like a 20 year old frat boy. Not only is it reckless, it risks ruining what could've been an amicable split from their wives and it'll sound bad in family court when she decides to take full custody of the kids. I decided to wait until the 'I'm single again' newness wore off before pursuing anything. That's when the doctors noticed something off with my white blood cell count and I found out that my leukemia returned. Now that that battle's won, I'm ready to start over and as of right now I wouldn't mind if it was with you. I-"

Before he finished his sentence, Robyn silenced him with a kiss. He laid back against the pillow bringing her with him so that she was on top. She opened her mouth to his tongue to deepen the kiss while Roman slid his hand inside her pajamas and grabbed the naked flesh of her ass.

For a moment his kiss slowed and became softer, his lips sliding across hers before stopping. There was a reason for that. When she opened her eyes she discovered that his were closed falling into a gentle sleep. In any other instance she'd feel insulted that a man went to sleep on her especially in the heat of the moment but for Joe she'd make an exception.


	3. Chapter 3

Fastlane, the final PPV before Mania was upon them. It was a dual brand event so the women's lockerroom was already crowded with the addition of the Smackdown division.

"Hey," Sonya greeted, sitting down next to her. Hair down Sonya was very pretty.

"Hi," Robbie greeted in return.

"You're looking beautiful today, Rob, all dressed up and made up," Sonya said, sniffing. "What kind of perfume is that?"

_Uh oh, _Robbie thought to herself. The lesbian rumors apparently made it to the Smackdown locker room because she didn't recall Sonya being this friendly before. She shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know really. Just a cheap mist I found at Victoria's Secret. Where's Mandy?"

"Getting her hair and makeup done. It's her first single's championship match and she wants to look perfect so don't expect to see her anytime soon," Sonya replied. Robbie was wearing a necklace which Sonya picked up to admire, touching plenty of skin on Robbie's neck and upper chest as she did so.

Someone knocked on the locker room door and Stephanie peeked her head in. "Is Robyn in here?"

Robbie quickly stood. "Yes!"

"Can I see you for a minute?" Steph requested.

Robbie followed Stephanie in silence. The only thing she heard was the clicking of their heels on the floor. She didn't even think to ask what this was about.

Finally, Stephanie paused at one of the office doors and swung it open. Inside sat Mr. McMahon, Triple H and Roman. Immediately her mind began racing with questions. _Were they in trouble? Did Roman decide to tell them in hopes that WWE's PR team could get ahead of the divorce story and spin it in his favor to avoid controversy? What if they didn't think she was good enough to be attached to the face of the company? _

"Have a seat Robyn," Vince said, nodding to the chair beside Roman. At this point her heart was pounding so hard she thought they'd hear it.

"Okay," Stephanie said, taking her place between her father and husband across the desk. "Roman is going to have his own campaign geared specifically toward leukemia and other blood cancer research. Because you are also a cancer survivor, we decided to pair the two of you up to become ambassadors for pediatric cancer. In this role, you'll be visiting children's hospitals and act as spokesmen at childhood cancer foundations and galas."

"Oh!" Robbie sighed in relief.

Triple H raised a brow. "What did you think we were going to say?"

"Nothing, I'm just not used to being called in here," Robbie nervously chuckled. "Anyway, I think this is great and I'm glad that I've been called on to fulfill this purpose."

Roman cleared his throat. "Can I say something?"

"Go ahead, Joe," Stephanie replied.

"I think if Robyn will be making rounds with me, the kids should actually know who she is. I doubt they watch Main Event or Twitter footage of dark matches if you understand what I'm saying…"

"You're absolutely right," Vince nodded as if he was just realizing this.

"It would be nice if we put the championships on them at the same time at some point so they can take their titles with them," Hunter suggested.

"We have other business to attend to so you can go because Joe, I know your in-ring return is tonight so you probably want to prepare and Robyn, post-Mania you won't be sitting in the lockerroom any longer," Stephanie said.

Everyone had their eyes on her to react so she forced a smile. "Sounds great. Thank you guys so much."

Roman stood and went down the line shaking hands so Robbie followed suit. He held the door open for her as they exited the room. He seemed to be smiling to himself in amusement as she stared upside his head. Finally, he looked down at her. "What?"

"I thought I told you no interfering," she hissed.

"It's not like I said, '_push Robyn because she's my girlfriend. No, of course I'm not cheating on Galina. We're separated but we're waiting to file divorce. It's a long story._' What I suggested made logical sense. When we walk into the children's hospital and get announced it'll be Roman Reigns…yay! and Robyn...who?"

"Okay, you have a point I'll admit but I'm still not happy about it," she grumbled. He stopped and she noticed that he was scanning the ceiling and walls. "What are you looking for?"

"Security cameras...there are none," he smirked, pushing her into the nearest closet.

"Why are we in here?"

"You said you weren't happy and I'm trying to fix that," Roman lifted her by the waist and sat her on the table. He gently pushed her down, spreading her legs and walking into the V that they formed. "You look sexy tonight. I didn't pick the dress this time but I definitely approve."

Both of their crotches were concealed within their clothing but somehow she still felt heat from them both as he stood pressed against her. "Hey, did you mean that I was your girlfriend or were you speaking hypothetically?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I know it's pretty early in the game but so far we tell each other everything, we lean on each other about our struggles, we ask each other for advice. I haven't lied to you and I don't think you've ever lied to me. We basically do everything that couples do except sex so by definition, yes, I _think _so."

Robbie couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face. "We could've had sex Monday if _you _hadn't fallen asleep mid-kiss but we can try again tonight if you're up for it."

He grabbed her hand and placed it over his erection. "I'm definitely _up_ for it."

"I see," she giggled.

* * *

"Hey, do you want to go out to eat?" Sonya offered after the show. "You can ride with us."

Robbie hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not to accept. Sonya being a lesbian didn't mean anything. Would Robbie have thought twice about it if it was Mandy who offered? No. Speaking of Mandy, the two of them got along just fine despite their sexualities. Sonya seemed nice and there was no need to read anything extra into what she was doing. "Okay, let me just tell Lacey and Nikki I won't be riding with them so they won't wait for me."

Robbie climbed into the backseat of the car. Once it got moving, the car was dark until Mandy in the front seat pulled out her phone to see the reactions to her match on Twitter, the screen illuminated her face.

The car stopped in front of the hotel's entrance and Mandy got out. "Have a good time you two. I'll see you later, Daria. Bring me something back."

Sonya turned around in her seat. "Tonight we showed tension between us after the match so we can't be seen out together right now. Hop up front."

She got out of the backseat and jumped into the front. Sonya was talking about tonight's crowd but Robbie didn't add much commentary. They pulled into the parking lot of a diner not too far from the hotel. Robbie went to reserve a table while Sonya took selfies with a few fans.

"Sonya, I don't know how relevant this is right now but just to put it out there, I'm not a l-" Robbie started before she was interrupted by Sonya who sat across from her in the booth.

"_Daria_, we're not at work so there's no need to use character names," Sonya replied, smiling. "The reason I asked you out tonight is because I wanted to get to know you better. I know your primary brand is Raw but sometimes when you come over to Smackdown with Lacey and Nikki, you don't really talk much and kind of stay out of the way. When I saw you tonight with the Raw girls, you were in the middle of things. I'm starting to believe you don't like us over on the blue brand."

Robbie relaxed a little. There was no need to finish her original thought since this 'date' seemed platonic. "No, it's not that. Like you said, Raw is my primary brand. I got acquainted with those girls first and I'm on the road with them. I'm not going to say they're easier to get along with but Smackdown is kind of cliquey. There's you and Mandy together, Charlotte and Becky together even though I don't know if they still count as Smackdown, Billie and Peyton, then Naomi, Carmella and Lana."

"That's true. I've been on the main roster for over a year now and at times I still find myself trying to fit in but you're always welcome to third wheel it with me and Mandy," Sonya replied.

About twenty minutes had passed while they are and talked.

"...and my little sister is also a lesbian," Sonya stated. "Weird huh?"

"Not really. I think it's pretty cool that you're the first openly gay woman in WWE," Robbie replied.

"Yes, _openly_," Sonya emphasized, winking at Robbie and that's when Robbie knew it was time to tell her. She opened her mouth to speak but Sonya continued. "I think it's even cooler that you're the first Make A Wish kid turned wrestler."

"The first of many I hope," Robbie smiled.

"Have you talked to Joe? You're both cancer survivors so I'm sure you two would have a lot to discuss about your journeys."

"Briefly. He always seems to have someone either in his face or calling his name. Tonight felt like his first day back because it's the first time most of the Smackdown roster is seeing him again. I think I'll be talking to him a lot now though. Do you remember when Stephanie called me out of the locker room?"

"Yeah, we were wondering what that was about…"

"Joe and I will be ambassadors for childhood cancer," she revealed.

"Oh, that's great," Sonya replied.

"Yep. I'm done and it looks like you are too so I need to wash my hands so we can pay and get out of here," she stood.

"Me too," Sonya replied walking behind her. "I ordered Mandy's food so it should be ready by the time we finish."

When they came upon the bathroom they found that it was a single. Robbie shrugged."Whatever, it's just a sink."

She washed her hands first and then moved to dry while Sonya washed hers. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Sonya replied, turning off the faucet.

"What the hell did you see in Zahra? You're awesome and could've done so much better than her," Robbie said.

"You think so?" The bathroom was small so when Sonya turned to address Robbie they were face to face. Sonya closed her eyes and began leaning in.

Robbie leaned in too, bypassing Sonya's lips to move next to her ear. "Daria, I'm really flattered but I'm not a lesbian. I tried telling you earlier before things got to this point but the subject kept changing."

Sonya pulled back. "Bi?"

"No," Robbie shook her head. "I'm just as straight as you are gay."

"Well...this is awkward, isn't it?"

"It's okay. I explained to the RAW locker room that I liked men but I guess that didn't travel as fast as the rumor," she rolled her eyes.

"I guess not. This never happened, okay?"

Robbie tilted her head. "What never happened?"

"And we're back," Sonya shifted into park outside of the hotel.

"I know we said we weren't going to talk about it but I really did enjoy your company so I hope we can be friends after this…"

"Of course. I was thinking that but I didn't want to weird you out by saying it."

When the elevator opened it was filled with men from both rosters. They stared from Sonya to Robbie and then looked around at each other, smirking as if this confirmed the rumors.

"For the record, I know what you're thinking and yes, this is exactly what it looks like. We're getting married as soon as WWE goes back to Vegas…." Robbie said, sliding a hand around Sonya's waist as they waited for them to get off so they could get on alone. "If they're going to think of me as a lesbian I may as well own it. Did you see their faces though? They were totally waiting on us to kiss."

"Men," Sonya shook her head. "Do you actually have a boyfriend though?"

"Yeah, something like that…'

"Is he on the roster?"

"Ye-, ugh, no," Robbie tried to correct but it was too late because Sonya looked suspicious. She'd have to explain it now without dropping any hints that it was Roman. She definitely couldn't say that she was waiting for her boyfriend to divorce so she decided to go with a generic statement that could fit any man on the roster. "You've been backstage long enough to know how things are with these guys. I don't want to really claim him because like I said, it's new and I don't want to embarrass myself thinking that he's my man only to find out he's talking to someone on the Smackdown or NXT roster, rats waiting in bars and even worse, girls in his DM."

"Straight girl problems. Glad I don't have those," Sonya said. "Main eventer, midcard, lower card or jobber? I'm asking to determine how much pussy will be thrown at him. Obviously top guys get the most attention."

"Midcard, I guess," Robbie lied, knowing that she was with _the_ guy.

"Adding 'I guess' means you're not sure so he must fall somewhere between mid and lower. I don't think you have much to worry about though because if a man cheats on you he's an idiot but keep your eyes open just in case."

"Will do," Robbie replied as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. "This is my floor. Goodnight."

Robbie went to her room and showered. She dressed herself in lingerie and wanted to do the sexy trench coat thing like in the movies but that elevator full of men had to return at some point and it would be just her luck that they did when she walked out. She pulled on a pair of jeans and an oversized t-shirt to start her journey to Roman's room. Her phone's time read 12:50.

"Where were you?" he asked when she entered.

"On a date," she winked.

"I told you to make up a boyfriend not get one," he snorted. "Who was he?"

"_She_. It was Sonya," she said, without going into further detail.

Roman closed his eyes as if he was imagining it. "Actually, that's kind of hot."

"_Anyway_, let's talk about you! You were back like you never left."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, you were so good. I got chills watching you out there and you looked happy. I'm sure the 'he faked cancer' conspiracies from idiots intensified because you didn't lose a step."

Roman rolled his eyes. "As if I'd put my reputation, dignity, my religion on the line to 'get over.' It's always, 'knowing Vince this and knowing Vince that.' You actually need to have been in the same room as Vince to actually know him instead of the character he plays on TV. What kind of person would even entertain that bullshit?"

"Losers who were hoping you never returned. It just proves once again that you're not only resilient inside of the ring but outside as well. You have strength and qualities that they'll never possess and it pisses them off."

Roman took a deep breath and shook his head. "You know what, I'm not going to upset myself especially not on the night of my in-ring return."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up. Tonight is for celebrating," Robbie stood on her tiptoes to gently nipple on his ear before whispering in it. "Go sit on the bed."

When he complied, she slowly raised her shirt exposing her red silk, lingerie bra. She turned around and pulled the jeans down over her ass, shaking it as she did. Stepping out of them she walked over to him seductively. Robbie looked Roman in the eyes and he looked excited, very excited. She looked down his body, and her eyes rested on his sweatpants and it became even clearer how excited he was.

Roman pulled her forward onto his lap. They hungrily kissed while his hands explored her back to unclasp her bra to free her breast. He lifted her up on his lap to bring her nipple to his mouth. She gasped at the sensation. He alternately kissed her breasts while his left hand found his way down to her ass. Because it was his left hand she felt cold metal rubbing against her as he looped a finger into the waistband of her panties.

"I have a request…"

"Hmm?" Roman popped her wet nipple out of his mouth.

"Can you maybe take your ring off until we finish. Feeling it make contact with my skin is sort of weird," she didn't want the reminder that he was still someone else's husband with every touch even if it was only temporary.

"Whatever you want," he replied, sliding it off and leaning over to put it on the nightstand. "Now where were we?"

"You were here.." she replaced his finger back into the waistband of her panties and he slowly pulled them down. "Your turn now."

Robbie pulled his sweatpants down far enough for his cock to spring out. It was beautiful just like the rest of him and thick. Her hand was slowly moving to touch it when a Facetime tone interrupted them.

"You or me?" he asked.

"I left my phone in my room so it's definitely you," she replied.

He picked up his phone and his eyes widened. "It's Galina. What time is it? Something must be wrong."

Robbie was practically thrown off of his lap and onto the floor as he stood, her knee making contact. "Ow! I'm sure the bed that we were literally sitting on would've been the ideal landing spot."

"Sorry," he whispered before answering. She could hear the sound of children screaming in the background.

"I need some help here, Joe," Galina said.

"Hold on for a second," Roman pulled up his sweatpants and ran to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Robbie was concerned for the first few minutes but she could hear him speaking in a soothing tone to calm them down. Now that the kids were finished, he and Galina seemed to be talking about something else. Tired of waiting, she climbed in bed and pulled the sheets up to her neck. She was yawning when the door opened.

"From the looks of it I'm guessing I killed the mood?" he asked, standing over the bed and looking down at her.

"I love seeing dads being dads _but_ I can't say it turns me on especially hearing the screeching all the way from behind a closed door. Your kids have a healthy pair of lungs on them if nothing else."

"Did I hurt you? I thought something was wrong and panicked without taking your safety into account."

"I hit my knee but it's no big deal. I take bigger bumps than that in the ring," she shrugged.

"Yeah, but the bump is usually caused by a 130 pound or less woman, not a 265 pound Samoan male," he pointed out, sliding into bed beside her.

"You reacted without a second thought which shows how important your family is to you especially if you suspect something is wrong. A man who didn't give a shit would've continued doing what we were doing and called Galina back later. What was that about if you don't mind me asking?"

"The boys didn't want to go to sleep. G thinks it's because she had the pay per view on. They saw me and were waiting for me to come home. Keep in mind they're not used to me being gone again yet. She allowed them to stay up at first thinking they were going to tire themselves out. Then 1:00 came and she had to tell them that I wasn't coming home until Tuesday morning and they kind of got upset."

"_Kind of_? I'd love to hear them when they're _really_ upset then," she laughed. "They miss daddy."

"Daddy misses them too. I was ready to come back but I didn't realize how hard it would be separating myself from my family again," he pulled out his phone and started showing her family pictures.

"Awww," she cooed but she had to admit this was kind of awkward especially when he scrolled by solo pictures of him with Galina. This had to have been before the separation because they looked happy and in a few they were kissing.

"This probably isn't helping the mood, is it?" he concluded.

"No but I appreciate you for showing me. I know how private you are with your family," she could feel her eyelids becoming heavy.

"Sleep is not going to ruin this again!" he declared, disappearing under the sheets.

"What are you doi-_oh_," she said when she felt her legs being yanked apart. First, he kissed and licked her inner thighs. Then, he slowly licked her lips. Upon reaching her clit, his tongue flattened and made small circles over it. Waves of pleasure flowed through her body. She began to shudder as he assaulted her with his tongue, licking along her slit. Something about not being able to see him heightened the experience because she only focused on her pleasure. It didn't take long for her to cry out in orgasm.

He crawled back up her body until his head peeked from under the sheets above her. Without warning, he plunged himself deep inside of her. The sudden penetration caused her to gasp but her body was well-prepared thanks to her orgasm. He groaned low as she spread her legs wider for him. His slow strokes were settling into a gentle rhythm.

It felt amazing and something about it seemed special. He looked down at her with a warm smile as if he felt it too before burying his head into her neck. Briefly he increased his speed before resuming his slow strokes. He repeated this several times while mumbling unintelligible comments. Her legs locked around him as they both reached their climax.

Roman rested on top of her while his breathing slowed. He slowly fed her weak kisses before rolling over to his pillow. "That just confirmed that this is real."

"What is real?"

"The fact that I'm now with another woman. I can't believe it," he looked stunned as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Do you regret it?"

"I felt a lot of things during the act but regret wasn't one of them."

"In that case, we can go another round to re-confirm it if you want."

"Give me a few minutes. Tonight I had my return match and now this. My body needs time to recuperate," he laughed.

**That's it for Chapter 3. The review button is right below guys so if you have thoughts let me hear them. **


	4. Chapter 4

'_He actually came,'_ Robbie thought to herself as she walked toward the tall, hooded figure standing in the airport parking lot in Orlando. The hoodie hid his most identifiable features: his tattoos and his manbun. She noticed sunglasses covering his eyes as she closed in on him.

"Why do you look so surprised?" he asked, leaning against his car.

"Because I am!" the smile on her face grew and the excitement flowed through her body. "I had my Uber app open just in case."

"When I tell you I'm going to do something, I do it," Roman affirmed, taking her bags to the trunk.

"I missed you so much yesterday," she said, leaning over the armrest to kiss him. "With you not being on the road full time we only get Monday's together and since you missed last night I thought I'd have to go 2 weeks without you."

"Yeah, when they told me that I had to sit this Raw out to sell the angle with McIntyre, you were the first thing I thought about so I decided to take the drive up here to come see you. What did I miss?"

"Backstage was pretty uneventful but an interesting article hit the dirtsheet yesterday…"

"About us?"

"No, of course not. If that ever hit the net you would know, trust me," she laughed before reading the headline from her phone. "_Another LGBT member on the roster?_ The best part is the article cites a 'backstage member' as the source. _This_ is why we have to be careful because the leakers are surrounding us."

"And if you were a lesbian, whose business was it?" Roman asked, stopping at a red light.

"Exactly, the dirtsheet is getting dragged for 'outing' me though. I feel bad now because all of these lesbian groups are following me now and lesbian WWE fans are tweeting support. Yesterday I was just ignoring it but now I have to address it because I don't want to mislead people into thinking I'm a lesbian only to pop up with you, a whole man, _eventually_."

**RobynWWE: While I fully support the LGBT movement and LGBT rights, I myself am not a lesbian or bisexual. **

"So, how long is _eventually_ going to be? Can I have an estimated time of divorce?"

"At first we were going to drag it out until the end of the year but now we just want to get it over with so we're looking at July or August," he answered, looking over at her. "What are you doing?"

Robyn stared out the window, mumbling to herself. "Oh, just some calculations. I know you're a private guy with your marriage and I'm sure that's not going to change post-divorce. I'm not expecting to post selfies of us or become cast members on Total Divas but I'm sure we'll be traveling together so the fans are going to know and as we see, people backstage leak stuff to dirt sheets all the time. That being said, before when we had no public ties, us coming together just could've happened. Now that we'll be working together closely with the campaign, we have to handle our moves very carefully to not give the impression that we were sneaking around before your divorce."

"I thought about that too," he agreed.

"Let's say you do it in July, what's the appropriate time for a public figure to be seen with another woman after a divorce?"

"I don't know, like 2 months?" he shrugged.

"Joe!" Robyn exclaimed. "That'll be PR suicide. I don't care how amicable you paint the divorce, if you start dating again that quick it'll lead to, '_if it only took him 2 months to move on he must've never loved Galina in the first place _or worse_, 'if he's with Robyn already they must've already had something going on before the divorce.'_"

"Shit," he cursed. "How long after Cena's divorce was he spotted with Nikki?"

Robbie picked up her phone again to consult with Google. "News of the divorce happened in May, it was finalized in July and pictures of him with Nikki surfaced in October so May to October is 5 months."

"Okay, we'll go with 5 months then," Roman nodded.

"Now we have to come up with a convincing cover story because people backstage, on the internet and interviewers are going to want answers," she cleared her throat. "_Obviously, Joe is a very attractive man but he was married so I didn't really look at him like that. In the months after his divorce, we formed a connection due to our mutual interest in what we did for the children and pretty soon we started getting to know each other better outside of that setting and.."_

"..._we just fell for each other. It was very unexpected because with me being fresh out of a divorce, I wasn't looking for anything at the time_," Roman added, finishing her sentence.

"Wow, how is our cover story better than how we actually got together," she laughed.

"Because it's not that far fetched and could've really happened if we weren't already together," he replied. "Also, I told Galina that if you and I were still together in a month I'd have to tell her your name. Time is winding down. She's thorough so if you have anything on your social media pages that isn't kid friendly you may want to delete it because she will find it."

"Actually, I don't have that much to hide," she scrolled through her Instagram and there wasn't anything too wild besides her holding a few drinks back in college. She did find a 'I hate kids' tweet brought on after a nightmarish flight full of them. That definitely wouldn't earn her any points with Galina. "What would say if she didn't approve of me?"

"What reason doesn't she have to approve of you?"

"Nothing but you know how it is. I know, I know, the split was mutual but it's not real to _some_ ex-wives until they see their husband with the new girlfriend."

He shook his head. "Nah, Galina isn't like that."

"I hope you're right. This is it," Robbie pointed, directing him into the lot of her condominium. She unbuckled her seatbelt when he shifted into park. "Okay, I'll go up first to make sure it's safe."

"Safe?"

"Yeah, there are a few fans in this building. You're obviously trying to look incognito which will draw attention in itself but if actual wrestling fans stared too long they'd quickly figure you out by your build, height, walk and facial hair," she explained, opening the car door. "Be on standby."

She walked inside of the lobby and it was empty. No one seemed to be going up or coming down the elevator either.

**Robbie: Clear. I'll be holding the elevator 4 u so u can get right on no wait.**

When he walked in the building he was carrying a third bag instead of just her two.

"Who is that one for?"

"That's my overnight bag," he replied.

"You're spending the night with me?" she asked excitedly.

"No, I'm spending the next three nights with you, if that's okay. So tonight, Wednesday night and Thursday night since you go back on the road Friday."

"Of course it's okay! Are you kidding me? One day with you was not nearly enough. It wasn't even a full day since we spend most of it driving, flying or backstage," she said. She felt the elevator slowing down a few floors below hers before coming to a complete stop. "Oh shit, turn around, face the corner or something!"

A junior high school boy walked on without even paying attention to the person hiding himself. "Hey, Robbie, you're back."

"Yeah, just made it in," she looked at the time. 10:30 AM. "What are you doing out of school?"

"It's spring break for our school," he replied.

"Ohhh. Did you watch Raw last night?"

"Yeah, it was okay but kind of boring without Roman Reigns," he replied and she heard Roman shift in the corner.

"Eh, you went 4 months without him, what's another week?"

"I guess you're right…" the elevator opened and he got off.

"Don't you love when kids genuinely enjoy the product and wrestlers?" Roman commented. "He hasn't been tainted by smarks in the internet wrestling community, yet."

"Let's give him a few years to discover Reddit, WrestlingForum and Twitter and we'll revisit this discussion," she replied, digging around in her purse to find her keys. She unlocked her door and welcomed him inside. "Unless I go grocery shopping, we'll be ordering takeout for the next three days. I have food but it's not 'feed a fully grown Samoan man' food and spoiler alert: I'm not that great of a cook!"

"Galina wasn't either when we got our first apartment together but neither of us starved."

"Yeah, I saw your old pictures and you definitely didn't look starved!" she joked and he laughed.

"That was the football build back when it was okay to let the Samoan genes run wild."

"You're cute either way so it doesn't matter. Does Galina know where you are?"

"Uh…well..." he stammered.

"I'll take that as a no," Robbie snorted. "If she knows about us why not tell her?"

"She does but I don't want her to think that I'm skipping out on the kids to be with you already so I simply said that I had some business to take care of for the next few days and she didn't ask any questions," he replied.

"I hope this doesn't get you into any trouble," she said, unzipping her jeans. "Now that we're settled, let me show you what you missed out on last night."

* * *

At first Roman only felt standard new relationship feelings toward Robyn but the last 3 days became the game changer. His feelings intensified and everything about them being together felt right. The smile that lit his face was impossible to stop when she walked into the living room wearing a maxi dress and leather jacket, rolling her bags behind her.

"I am so ready for you to come back on the road full time, house shows and all. This has been great and now I'm spoiled. I don't want to leave and I don't want you to leave," she hugged herself to him. This vaguely reminded him of how his relationship with Galina began. They were inseparable and she never wanted him to leave when it was time for him to go back to his dorm.

"Well, just think, pretty soon you'll have me everyday. What do you think about the Tampa to Orlando commute?"

"It's just an hour and a half so I don't care. What about you?"

"I've been living in Tampa since my FCW days. That's where my kids are and when I eventually move out I want to remain close to them. If Galina ever called me to say something was wrong I want to be able to get in my car and shoot over there in no less than 15 minutes."

"So basically you want to live in Tampa and you're trying to see how I'd feel about moving there with you eventually?"

"Basically, yes," he confirmed with a nod. "We drive enough when we're on the road. I don't know about you but I'm not going to feel like driving almost 2 hours to and from when I want to see you and I don't want you to have to do it either when you want to see me. It'll just be more convenient for both of us."

"It doesn't really make a difference to me. Honestly, I'm just happy to hear that you're including me in your future plans so hell yeah I'll move when the time comes," she leaned forward to kiss him, one hand sliding behind his neck to deepen it while the other reached down to his sweatpants to fondle him. He could feel himself harden under her touch.

"Robyn, please," he whined when she began sucking on his neck. "You have a flight to catch in an hour and we have to factor in traffic to get there plus it's a Friday so the airport is going to be packed."

Robbie rolled her eyes. "You are such a planner. What's another ten minutes?"

"Fine," he lifted her dress and in one quick motion picked her up and raised her against the wall. He pulled her panties to the side and drove inside of her with urgency. She felt tight around him as he watched her face contort with pleasure. She grinded her hips down to meet his thrusts. Her eyes were clamped shut and her mouth hung open as he brought her to orgasm. He slowed his stroke to allow her to enjoy the feeling as her climax subsided. Her walls rhythmically contracting around him pushed him over the edge as he groaned.

"You have to go, for real this time. Your flight takes off in 50 minutes now!" he said, pulling his sweatpants up.

"Come with me!" she begged.

"I can't," Roman shook his head. "I'm not on the schedule so what would I even do?"

"Walk around backstage and socialize or give the house show fans their money's worth by going out there to attack McInytre over his promo on Raw. You're Roman Reigns; you can do whatever you want!"

"Roman Reigns traveling across the country without his vest, black cargo pants and military boots? I don't think so. Besides, right now I'm just Joe and Joe has three kids and a wi-" he caught himself. "Joe has three kids to get home to."

"I mean, technically, Joe still has a wife so it's okay. You two have been together for a very long time and have a lot of history so of course you still acknowledge her presence in your life and I would expect nothing less. This is still new and we're all adjusting," Robyn replied and he loved how understanding she was to his situation. Most women wouldn't be able to handle it and would probably fly off into a jealous rage if he mentioned Galina. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while but how did you know that your marriage was over"

He took a while to think before answering. "When we slowly started becoming what we are now, roommates. It seemed like the romance was gone from our relationship. All the things that you and I did the last three days: sitting on your balcony after midnight looking at the sky, bathing together, sex at the drop of a dime, the way we look at each other and even the simple things we did like joking and laying on the couch together watching Netflix, Galina and I didn't do any of it anymore. We were just parents instead of a couple. When I called home, we only talked about the kids. When I came home, we only did things for and with the kids. Don't get me wrong, the kids are always supposed to come first but what about us? I began feeling guilty because I thought it was just me and it felt horrible knowing that I'd romantically checked out on a woman who has been with me through so much but we sat down one night and she brought up similar feelings. We both started reminiscing over our relationship back at Georgia Tech. Sure, we fell _in_ love but the question was would we still be together right now if she never got pregnant with Jojo back then? We both answered 'maybe' when the answer should've been yes without a second thought. Of course we tried things to put the spark back into our relationship but either we didn't try hard enough or it just didn't work so we acknowledged that we grew apart and decided to go our separate ways."

"And now you're with me…" she smiled.

"And now I'm with you…" he smiled back.

"Before I sneak you back out of here I want you to know that I really _really_ like you and I need you to know that," she looked up at him shyly through her lashes.

"I really _really_ like you too," he felt good saying because he knew he meant it.

Robyn ruffled through her McDonald's bag in the parking lot of the airport. She stuffed a handful of fries in her mouth before her muffled voice spoke, "Have you noticed we haven't talked about the big 'C' once in the last 3 days?"

"That's the way it should be. The big 'C' doesn't define who we are but it's great that if we ever get into a slump about it, we'll be able to lean on each other in ways that we can't with people who haven't gone through it."

"How are you doing though?"

"Well, 3 days ago, I was starting to feel like my old self again…"

"And now?"

"Thanks to you I'm definitely my old self again! Being locked in that house has really helped me relax these last 3 days. What about you? How are you doing?" he asked.

She sighed, her chest rising and falling. "I'm fine."

"Rob, are you sure?" he caressed her hand."You didn't get a bad report or anything recently, did you?"

"No, I haven't been back to the doctor since the last time but I'm due in 2 weeks and I'm terrified..." she admitted.

"Babe, you'll be fine. There's nothing to worry about," he held his voice steady and low, a comforting tone.

"I'm sure you thought the same thing," she mumbled under her breath but he still understood it.

"I did but once I found out, I didn't let it break me down because like I said in the ring October 22, _I have faith_ and I knew that I was going to beat it."

She turned to him, her eyes filled with so much sadness he had to break eye contact. "Joe, you are the strongest man I've ever met but unfortunately we can't all have your outlook on this situation and realistically, every patient isn't going to be as lucky as you. Thank you for a wonderful few days. I have to go now because this is the last flight heading to my destination today and if I miss it you'll have to drive me to the house show and if you're there you'll have to stay."

When he looked at her again she was wiggling her eyebrows playfully and he was glad because it helped lighten the mood. "Nice try but this car's next destination is Tampa."

"It was worth a shot," she sighed as their lips met.

"Text me when you get there," he instructed.

"I will text you, call you, facetime you, send nudes and everything in between," she giggled, getting closing the car door.

* * *

When Roman turned the doorknob and swung his front door open, he heard two small sets of footsteps. He dropped his bag on the floor when he saw his sons and kneeled down to hug them. "Hey little guys. I'm home."

Galina walked out of the kitchen. She looked tired and he began feeling guilty for leaving her for 3 days alone with the kids. From the day he moved up to the main roster she basically became a single mother because she was raising Jojo and later the twins alone. With him being around more often now, he was supposed to be helping her out in that department.

"Hey bab…" he cleared his throat. "_Galina_."

"Boys, go watch TV in your room while I talk to your dad," Galina sounded pissed. Roman waited anxiously while she escorted the boys to their room and closed the door. "Let's go in our, I mean, _my_ room for privacy."

When he entered he noticed a floor length gown hung outside of the closet."For the Hall of Fame?"

"Yep, if this is going to be our last public appearance as a married couple I have to look good."

"How much did it cost me?" he asked.

"A lot," she answered. "The shoes cost just as much. Let's not even talk about the jewelry."

"Well, I can't say you haven't earned it over the years," he replied. He was thankful that she wasn't trying to take him to the cleaners during the divorce settlement like most wives of wealthy athletes would so if she wanted to go out and buy herself an expensive dress, have at it.

"Let's get back on track. How was _business_?" she raised a brow.

"It was okay…"

She shook her head accusingly at him and he knew he was caught. "You know that your every move as a public figure is very traceable, right?"

"Meaning?" he knew where this was headed but he was doing everything he could to prolong the point.

"If you go to the airport, you take at least 5 selfies. If you're on the street, a fan is going to capture it. If you're actually doing business, WWE is going to promote it. Why has there been no '_Roman Reigns'_ news for three days straight?" she inquired. "Joe, if you wanted to spend time with your girlfriend all you had to do was tell me!"

"I just didn't know how. I'm sorry, G," he apologized.

"You didn't know how? How long have we been together? If you can't tell me everything, who can you tell? Let's get one thing straight, I don't care about you having a girlfriend. Do you know why? Because eventually I'm going to have a boyfriend. How would you feel if I looked you in the eye and said, '_hey, I'm going to take care of some business'_ when in reality I'm just lounging around my man's house for three days straight while you're here with the kids?" she sniffled.

"I wouldn't feel good about it," he took a few steps toward her. "Galina, are you crying?"

"No!" she turned her back to him.

"You are!"

"It's just…you didn't even hide things from me when we were together and it hurts that you're doing it now. Something else that hurt, you didn't call to check on us once. I didn't call you because I thought you were busy, the first day at least until I figured out what was _really _going on. I can't recall there ever being a time where you went a few hours, let alone a few _days_ without contacting us. I can clearly see what kept you busy, though," she touched his neck where a fresh hickey formed. "Was the sex that good you couldn't spare 5 minutes to call and tell us that you were alive and well? Jojo was worried and I had to lie and tell her that your phone didn't have service where you were."

"Once again, I am so sorry. You know there's nothing more important to me than my family and I hate knowing that I had you guys on edge. This was my first getaway with Robyn and I guess I got caught up and…" he trailed off, seeing a light bulb switch on over Galina's head.

"Finally, she have a name…" Galina smiled, diving on the bed for her iPad. "Let's see what Google knows about this _Robyn_. Okay, she doesn't look like an 18 year old porn star which is a positive. She's also very beautiful and I can see why you were so '_caught up'_ as you called it. The next time you two get together though please remember your responsibilities. Let's move on to the good stuff: Instagram and Twitter."

"Go ahead," Roman felt comfortable knowing that he'd already prepared Robyn for this moment.

Galina scrolled for a long time. She scrolled so long that in the meantime he went to pick up Jojo from school and returned. Finally, she gave up. "Are you serious? Nothing?"

"Why are you so surprised? _Obviously, _I know how to pick 'em," he snorted.

"Maybe she's the Virgin Mary reincarnated or _maybe_ you warned her in advance to scrub her accounts," she knew him well.

"Yeah but there wasn't much to clean up. Robyn is a great woman. I wouldn't have given her a second glance if I had any doubt about that. I definitely wouldn't shut off my entire life for 3 whole days to be with her if she wasn't special."

"From what I can tell you really like this girl," Galina noted. "I have good news. If I'm strictly going by this social media check, I approve but I'll have to meet her in person in order to give you my final verdict."


	5. Chapter 5

She'd only gone the weekend without him but it felt like an eternity. Robbie thought about Roman every second since he dropped her off at the airport. She couldn't concentrate standing on the ringpost during a tag match at the house show because of him. It had gotten downright ridiculous.

She didn't think she'd see him again until Monday evening at the arena but her first lit up early Monday morning when she saw his name on her phone as it began to ring telling her that he'd taken an early morning flight to Boston.

"So, I got in trouble with Galina…" he yawned a few hours later in bed.

"What did you do?" she laughed, repositioning her head on his chest.

"I didn't contact them during those 3 days…"

"What?!" she sat up. "Seriously, Joe? I didn't witness you pick up your phone but I assumed that you did. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, period. It felt good to be closed off from the world for a change but I didn't want it to be at the expense of my family. Jojo was worried about me and that really made me feel like shit," he sighed. "Galina also knew the business thing was bullshit and that I was really with you."

"That can't be good for either of us," she replied.

"It was more on me than you. I lied to her and it was wrong. She didn't hold it against you."

"Thank God because there are some new girlfriends who'll actively try to isolate the guy from his children and I don't want her to think I'm one of them."

"There's one more thing…"

"What else could there possibly be?" she groaned.

"I know I told you that I was going to wait a month before telling her but I slipped up and she knows your identity now."

Robbie's eyes widened. "I did what you asked and scrubbed my accounts. Did she find anything? What was her opinion of me?"

"You did a very good job on your profiles because there was nothing that stood out negatively and trust me she was digging. She said you were beautiful and that she approved, for now," he revealed.

"For now?"

"Yeah, she's coming along with the rest of my family to Mania and she wants to meet you."

"The pressure is on," she grimaced not knowing what to expect. Galina wasn't like the other WAGs. She had no social media presence and there was anything out there that would give Robbie a clue into her personality. She couldn't trust what Roman said. He was her husband, of course she's nice to him.

"She's cool and she doesn't do drama so you don't have anything to worry about," he said confidently.

"Well, okay," she replied uncertain. Their phones dinged at the same time. Robbie grabbed hers first and found a group text from Stephanie that she read aloud. "**Stephanie: Meet me at the conference room by 4:30.**"

"I'm guessing this is related to our campaign," he concluded.

"It is 2:40 so what are we going to do to pass time," she smirked.

"I'd say we have time for one more round," he said, rolling on top of her and rubbing himself up and down her slit before entering. Her legs instinctively opened wider.

She moaned at the intrusion her hips rising slightly off the bed. "According to my calculations we have time for two."

Robbie arrived at the arena at 4:00, dropped her bags in the locker room and was turning the corner to get to the conference room at 4:25. She saw Roman standing outside of the room along with Stephanie so she casually walked up to them and spoke. "Hey Stephanie, Joe."

"Hello, Robyn," Stephanie replied.

"Hey Robbie, how are you?" Joe asked playing it off as if this was his first time seeing her today.

"I'm good, you?" she returned.

"A side effect from my treatment was arthritis and I have it from my feet up to my hips so I'm moving a little slower today but I'm good," he shrugged.

'_Couldn't tell the way he moved in bed earlier' _she smothered the smile brought on by that thought because with Stephanie being out of the loop it would look very insensitive for her to smile at Roman's comment. "Yeah, I heard about that in your chronicle episode but hey, at least you're here."

"He is here, both of you are. The reason I called you here is because we invited children who are either cancer free now or in remission to the show tonight. With you two being in the same boat it's only fitting that you speak with them," Stephanie explained.

They broke the children into two groups. Roman had his set of kids on one side of the room and she had hers on the other. His seemed to be going smoother probably because he was a bigger name and a dad so he was more comfortable interacting with children than her.

"Were you scared to learn how to wrestle? Was it hard?" one boy asked.

"To be honest, the scariest period of my life was my fight with cancer and as survivors I'm sure you'll agree. Compared to that, learning how to wrestle was a piece of cake," she said. It was a lie. Training was very hard and took a lot out of her mentally and physically but of course she couldn't tell them that.

"Where's Sasha?" a little girl in a purple wig inquired.

**Robyn: If you have time there's a little girl (cancer survivor) over here in the conference room who would love to meet you. If not she'll be in the crowd tonight so look 4 her. **

The meet and greet was over and it was time to take a group picture. The kids were in front and they stood behind with enough space between them to fit two more kids.

The photographer trained his camera on them before looking up. "Roman, Robyn, can you close the gap and move closer together?" They did that and then came another complaint. "Smile Robyn!"

"Okay," the corners of her mouth turned upwards.

"Can you two act like you know each other?" he requested. "Right now you look like strangers forced to stand next to each other."

Roman moved in a little closer and slid his hand around her back and onto her lower waist, almost on her hip. She lightly stepped on his foot and he took the hint by moving his hand up to her shoulder. The first position was way too intimate for coworkers and it definitely looked too inappropriate for a married man to touch another woman in that way. She knew the minute they came out as a couple, fans would go back in time and study any interactions they had to determine when they became a thing. Sometimes you can tell two people were screwing by their body language in pictures. She had to be conscious of that to make sure she didn't give any indication that a romance budded before his divorce.

"That's about as good as it's going to get," the photographer aimed and the camera shuddered snapping dozens of pictures at once. "Done."

"Alright kids, I'll see you out there," Roman waved goodbye.

The photographer was on his way out as well. "You two have no chemistry which is unfortunate because you would make a good looking couple."

"Well, I'm a happily married man so that's not something I'm concerned about," Roman shrugged.

"_Happily_ might've been laying it on too thick," Robyn whispered when they were walking around in an isolated backstage area.

"What do you mean?"

"He's going to remember this moment when your divorce happens and you pop up with me months later. '_I told them that they looked good together, Roman said he was a __**happily**_ _married man but divorced that summer and now they're a couple. Guess they found that chemistry they lacked, hmm_.' I know you have to keep up appearances but can you try to be a little more subtle next time?"

"Sorry, it's a habit."

"I know and that's okay. I just don't want the divorce story to turn into an affair story which will have a negative impact on both of our careers," she explained.

"You're right. Well, I'm about to head over to the lockerroom. I booked my own hotel room because it's not uncommon for some of the guys to drop by to talk or ask advice. It doesn't make any difference whether we're in my room or yours but here's the key to mine anyway."

"Got it," she replied, sliding the card into her back pocket.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight," he replied and they heard a gasp and retreating footsteps.

No one was behind them so the source of the gasp had to be around the corner but when Robyn peeked around it, no one was there either. "Shit! Whoever it was fled!"

"Damn!" Roman held his hands on his head in panic.

"Who could that have been?" Robbie whispered, unable to conceive what could potentially come of this.

"Wrestlers, producers, ring crew, backstage personnel, extras, catering staff, the cleanup crew, guests of wrestlers. It could be anyone!"

"We're wasting time. Every second we stand here is another second that person gets closer to exposing us," Robbie expressed. "Do we tell whoever it is about the separation?"

"I don't think we have a choice!" he raised his voice in scared frustration. "Come on."

She'd been working so hard with this situation to be discreet and they'd blown it just like that. Even if they came out and said he was separated, people would think they were lying to save face. At least he was Roman Reigns and would bounce back. He was irreplaceable to WWE and his fanbase was large so he'd be forgiven eventually. She had no redeeming qualities established yet and because of her lack of TV time she was only known as 'that Make a Wish girl.' Her fanbase was decent at best and mostly men who thought she was hot; they'd for sure turn on her and the female fans would hate her for being a 'homewrecker' which meant her career would be over.

Liv Morgan was sitting in the makeup chair when they walked by. Roman stopped. "Hey, did anyone walk by here a few minutes ago? We were on our way from the conference room and we found a...uh…"

"_...cellphone _on the floor," Robbie finished because it seemed like he was drawing a blank. "It was still warm when I picked it up which meant it was recently used and couldn't have been down there for long so we wanted to return it to its rightful owner."

"Yeah, with all the hackings and leaking we can't afford to let it fall into the wrong hands," Roman added.

"Finn and Sasha I think," Liv answered.

As soon as Roman heard Finn, he took off in the direction of the men's locker room and she followed suit heading to the women's.

**Him: I asked Finn about his whereabouts because of the 'phone' & it wasn't him because he was coming from the parking garage which would have indeed put him on the trail to pass Dana. It has to be Sasha and if it's not her we're fucked. **

**Robbie: On it. **

When she made it to the lockerroom, she pressed an ear against the door to see if she could hear anything related to what Sasha might've heard. It sounded like nothing but random chatter. She opened the door and no one gave her dirty looks or made snide comments as she entered which meant Sasha hadn't said anything, _yet._

Sasha was in the corner unpacking her gear with Bayley. She took a deep breath before walking over. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"No! I guess you forgot that you asked me to come over to that area while you two were discussing your plans for tonight," Sasha snapped which confirmed Robbie's suspicions. She didn't forget but Sasha never texted her back which led her to believe that she wasn't coming.

"Wait, what?" Bayley looked confused.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," Sasha hissed.

"Please, Sasha," Robbie begged. "Just hear me out."

"Fine because I'm really curious to see how you'll try to justify this," Sasha stood, shaking her head. "It's always the ones you least expect."

Robbie led Sasha into a bathroom and looked under the stalls to make sure they were alone.

"Unlike you, I have a match tonight and it's my hometown so don't take all day trying to convince me that I didn't hear what I heard," Sasha said.

"First and foremost, thank you for not telling the others…"

"That was because of Joe, not you. Despite _this_, he's still someone I look up to and respect and I don't want his reputation soiled by backstage gossip."

"I know what you heard but it's not what it looks, well, _sounds_ like," she explained.

"Oh?" Sasha quirked a brow. "I guess you need the key to his hotel room to drop by for a late night cancer support group, huh?"

"A few weeks ago our locker room had a long discussion about him and Nattie herself said that she's seen him turn down countless women and most of you agreed. Do you think a life threatening illness returning turned him into a cheating asshole? No!" Robbie passionately argued. "Joe and Galina are separated."

"Bullshit," Sasha looked at her accusingly. "If you're going to help a man cheat _own it_ instead of lying."

"Do you think I'm lying because he's still wearing his ring? That's part of their strategy. They've been separated since before he came out of remission. Now that he's beaten it, it wouldn't look right for them to immediately divorce. He's technically single therefore he's free to date whoever he wants and right now that's me."

"I believe you. This makes a lot more sense than Joe just up and cheating out of the blue," Sasha's expression softened. "I'm sorry for snapping on you."

"It's okay if it were me around the corner listening I would've assumed the same thing. Today we found out that we were getting ready to have our first women's Wrestlemania main event. We're literally on top right now. I wouldn't want us to be set back by having the public think that our ring work has evolved but we're still just playthings for the guys backstage like back in the day…"

"Agreed. Good luck to you because I'm sure you're going to need it."

* * *

It was official. Roman's Wrestlemania match against Drew McIntyre was set but right now he had something far more important on his mind. He still couldn't believe how careless they were. He was getting way too comfortable in this arrangement and let his guard down. If this got out, both of them would be done for in the court of public opinion which he couldn't afford right now. They crossed paths in the parking lot. "What's the status on the Sasha situation?"

"I think I handled it so you don't have to worry about it," she replied.

_Think_ wasn't good enough for him. "Alright, I'm going to make sure. I'll see you in the room."

Roman had known Sasha longer so if she still had doubts, she may hear him out better than Robbie. He knew Sasha wasn't the type to engage in gossip but you never know.

He spotted her walking through the parking lot with her husband, Mizake and approached them. "Can I borrow her for a second?"

"Sure," Mizake took her bags and walked away to their car.

Sasha put her hand up to silence him before Roman got a chance to speak. "Robbie has already told me and knowing the person that you are, I believe it. We were actually giving you props a few weeks ago for being one of the last good men on the roster. What I heard threw me for a loop but everything makes sense now."

"Do I have to worry about this getting around backstage?"

"Of course not! You know me better than that," she scoffed.

"Not even to Bayley?" he questioned.

"Not even to Bayley," she repeated. "You know I have your back. Just be thankful that it was me who walked up because anyone else would've had it all over the lockerroom by now."

"I am thankful," he nodded, patting her shoulder.

"You know you're going to leave a trail of tears and broken hearts when your divorce is announced. The other girls in the back are going to be happy when they think they finally have a chance only to find out that Robbie already had a head start," she snorted.

Roman received attention from women everywhere he went from female fans, to female superstars to backstage interviewers and other backstage personnel. They threw themselves at him knowing that he was a married man and it turned him off because that meant they had no respect for him, his wife or his family. The night he exchanged numbers with Robyn the first thing she did was confront him about being married and wouldn't sleep with him until she had confirmation that he was telling the truth about his separation and he loved that about her.

After Roman's shower he tied his hair into a wet bun and dried himself before wrapping a towel around his waist. When he opened the bathroom door, Robyn was already sitting on his bed flipping through channels on the TV.

"You should've joined me," he said.

"Why shower when I'm already wet?" she replied, flirtatiously. "Did you take care of that with Sasha?"

"You were right earlier when you said you handled it," he admitted, sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, but I understand why you'd want to confirm it for yourself though. We were being stupid and any further stupidity can blow this entire thing wide open," she replied with caution.

"I'm so glad we're likeminded on this and that you realize how critical keeping this thing under wraps is. There are women out there these days who are so consumed with trying to be famous and will do anything to get their fifteen minutes even if it makes them look bad as a result. Any other woman would be dropping hints, taking selfies with my elbow or hand in the shot on purpose."

"I would never! When all of this is over I want to be able to be with you in peace without scandal overshadowing what we have," with a quick tug, she removed his towel and tossed it aside. She placed a hand on his thigh and tasted him. He groaned. "Before we get into this, have you called Galina yet?"

"Yes," he answered breathlessly, wanting her to get back to business. "I called her before and after the show."

"Okay," she giggled. Her light kisses and licks of his shaft had him close to an orgasm before she even spread her lips to take the head into her warm mouth. Slowly, Robbie lowered her head until the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat. Soon, she was bobbing up and down, applying more and more pressure. Roman groaned and began bucking his hips wanting more.

He was disappointed when she popped him out of her mouth but he understood when she straddled him. She took hold of him and impaled herself, sighing deeply as it filled her. Robyn leaned back with her breasts thrusting outwards, and began to ride him. The sight alone was almost enough to send him over the edge but he restrained himself. Roman put his hands on her waist and helped guide her up and down as she rose and fell.

"How's the view from down there?" she chuckled when she noticed him staring up at her.

"Amazing…" he slid his hands up her torso to grab hold of her breasts.

She was beginning to lose it,and could tell by her expression. He wasn't too far behind as he squeezed her nipples. Robyn came in breathless gasps, her entire body stiffening. She collapsed down onto his chest, still slowly grinding back and forth as she rode out the waves of pleasure, clenching and unclenching around him.

Roman woke the next morning to the sound of ringing. He could clearly see that it wasn't his so he tried to nudge Robbie awake. "Babe, your phone is ringing."

"Hmm?" she groaned, her eyes still closed. She blindly stretched out her arm and felt around the nightstand before grabbing it. She held it over her face before squinting her eyes open. Whatever she saw caused her to sit up like the Undertaker. A look of terror crept on her face. "It's my oncologist's office!"

He sat up with her. He couldn't help but think back to that eerie conversation they had in the airport parking lot. She seemed overly negative and he wondered if she had reason to think that.

"What if they found something in my samples from last time?" tears welled in her eyes and her lips began to quiver. He pulled her close and hugged her to his chest.

Although he was concerned he had to be strong and not show it for her sake. "Rob, believe me when I say I know how you feel right now but you can't automatically think the worst. You will never know what they want until you pick up the phone and call them back."

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know but I'm here with you. If anything happens we can get through it together," he assured her and she tapped her screen before putting the phone to her ear. She looked at him and he nodded encouragingly.

"Hello, this is Robyn Nelson returning a call that I received a few minutes ago," she closed her eyes. She looked tense as she listened to the voice on the other end. After about a minute her body visibly relaxed. "Oh! You had me worried there for a second. I'm in Boston right now but my flight leaves at 9:00 which will put me in Orlando at around 12:15. Okay, see you then."

"What was that about?"

"My oncologist will be out of the country next week on the day of my appointment so they were calling to reschedule it to today. It works out perfectly because my next appointment fell on the Friday of Wrestlemania weekend and it would've been a hassle to fly in that evening when most of you will already be there Thursday or no later than Friday morning," she fell back against her pillow.

"See, you were freaking out for nothing."

"Nothing my ass," she replied. "I'm going to be a nervous wreck the entire plane ride home and I'm going to have another panic attack when I make it to the office."

Roman thought about his schedule for the day and he had nothing planned that required him to be home at a certain time. "With all of the wrestlers heading home soon, I wonder if the flight to Orlando is full."

"You'd come with me?" she seemed surprised.

"If you saw your face when you saw who that call was from you'd know I have no other choice. There is no way in hell I'm letting you go through this alone," he replied adamantly.

"You are a godsend, Joe!" she looked at the time on her phone and smirked. "Do we have time to-"

"No!" he interrupted her with a chuckle. "We have to catch this flight and because the show was here last night there will for sure be lots of fans waiting at the airport. I'm really starting to believe you only want me for sex."

"Eh, you have a _few_ other things I like. Just a few," she joked, standing to stretch. She was still naked from last night and wasn't shy about him seeing her. In fact she turned to make sure her ass was in his line of vision.

"Why have you forsaken me," he grumbled looking down at his hardening penis. "Get back over here, Robyn."

The flight probably left a few questions in his coworker's mind. They all knew he lived in Tampa. Fortunately no one asked him anything so he didn't have to lie. Robyn left the airport, caught an Uber to her condo, picked up her car and swung back by to pick him up.

"Good, there aren't that many cars here," he noticed when they pulled up to the office.

"Yeah, it's a small, private practice. There's always like 1 or 2 people max when I come in," she replied, shifting into park.

He opened the door for her and the only person sitting in the waiting room was an old woman. That was another positive because there was a slim to none chance that she'd know who he is and even if she did, she probably wouldn't run to the internet with a '_I just saw Roman Reigns and Robyn together and it didn't look WWE related_' post. Robyn signed in before coming back to take the seat next to him. An older guy, the woman's husband came from the back and they let together.

"Ms. Nelson," a nurse appeared in the waiting room.

Robyn took a deep breath before standing, obviously nervous. He stood and followed them into the back. Her doctor walked in. He was an older guy with a bald head. Roman squinted his eyes to read the name on his lab coat. Dr. Foster

"Roman Reigns?! I guess you're the coworker who triggered her anxiety," Dr. Foster commented. Roman looked over at Robyn and she looked away. Dr. Foster shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe I have an actual celebrity sitting in my office. Well, Robyn, you count I guess but this is Roman Reigns!"

"Yes that's 'Roman Reigns' and I hope you remember the doctor-patient confidentiality clause in the midst of your fan out," Robyn muttered.

"Of course. I haven't kept this place one of the top rated clinics in Florida for the last 28 years running my mouth about my patients," he dug into the pockets of his coat and gave Roman his business card. "Just in case you're looking for a secondary oncologist."

A full physical including blood work is how it started, then X-rays, a MRI and a bunch of other tests that he was all too familiar with. He wouldn't wish cancer on anyone but unfortunately he and Robbie had to play the hand they were dealt and go through these appointments to stay ahead of the game.

Her leg trembling quickly turned into full body shakes. He took hold of her knee and she stopped. "Robyn, you have to calm down."

"Waiting is the hardest part because you have no idea what happens next. It could be the best news ever or the worst."

"Don't I know it," he replied. He'd learned from WWE doctors that his white blood cell count was elevated so he knew something was up. But still in his head he didn't truly believe it. It was just, '_Ah, something's weird. You'll be fine. blah blah blah.' _When he went home he visited his oncologist and endured a long wait before it was confirmed.

Light tapping on the door caused her to jump before Dr. Foster swung it open. "I won't waste time with theatrics. Robyn, everything looks good and I'll see you in a month."

"Yes!" she exclaimed jumping to her feet. She attacked him with a kiss as soon as they were concealed behind the four doors of her car. It wasn't their usual lust filled kisses. This kiss was raw and had so much more meaning to it. They pulled back and looked at each other and it was as if a silent understanding had been made between them. She slid a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. "Let's get you home."

Roman typed his address into her GPS and reclined his seat back to enjoy the ride.

"Wow, this is your house?" Robbie admired the residence as she parked halfway up the driveway. "You're crazy for leaving it. If I were you I'd just tell Galina that downstairs is hers besides the kitchen and kid's rooms which is neutral territory and upstairs is yours. The end!"

"But what about us?"

"I'd move in too. It's big enough for me, you, her and the kids. Just joking before you get any ideas. I like sex way too much to have to silence myself so they won't get traumatized by the sounds," she laughed before her green eyes turned serious. "I want to thank you for today. You didn't have to come with me but you did and I appreciate it."

"It was no problem. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I jumped on a flight to Tampa while you're sitting in a doctor's office alone and scared?"

"A pretty shitty one," she replied.

"Hey, do you want to come in?" he asked.

"What? No!" she outright refused with a head shake.

"It would be better to go ahead and get the meeting with G out of the way in a quiet environment instead of hectic Mania weekend."

"I don't know. This is Florida and the stand your ground laws are in full effect. What if she decides to kill me and cover it up. I know you aren't going to testify against your own wife and mother of your children. Who would even keep them while you're on the road if she's in jail?" she snorted in reply.

"Galina doesn't even spank our kids so I'd love to see her kill somebody," he said, reaching over to unfasten her seatbelt with a click.

She appeared to be contemplating a decision in her head. "Alright. Let's do this!"

Roman unloaded his bags from her trunk before they walked up the driveway together. He stopped at the door to dig for his key.

"I'm sorry, Joe. I can't. Wrestlemania weekend, maybe. Right now, no," she slowly backed away before turning and running down the driveway.

"Robyn!" he called after her.

"Sorry," she ducked down into her car and jerked into reverse.

Speechless, he turned back to the house where he noticed a single pulled down blind in the window snap shut.


	6. Chapter 6

Because it was a rare sighting, everywhere they went people stopped, stared and secretly took pictures. Roman opened the door and they walked up the the maitre'd stand, standing there for a moment before he acknowledged them. "Yes, reservations in the VIP section for Joe Anoa'i."

The maitre'd perused his reservation list before looking up at him. "No Joe Anoa'i but I do have Roman Reigns?"

"That's _me_, I guess," was his response and the maitre'd waved over a waitress.

"Right this way," a waitress smiled and they followed. "Just you two?"

"No, there will be another woman joining us shortly," he replied.

"You booked under my stage name?" he asked.

"This is one of the most popular restaurants in the city. I called and tried to reserve under Joe Anoa'i but they claimed that they were booked solid so I told them that you were Roman Reigns and Wrestlemania was in town and they made arrangements. It worked so…" Galina shrugged.

They walked up a set of stairs to an isolated area reserved for celebrities or important people. The way this section was set up no one on the floor could see them which meant they couldn't pull their phones out and film them so it was a safe space for this meeting to take place.

Galina picked up the menu and began scanning it. She looked up at him over it. "Don't you think you should give her a heads up about what she's walking into?"

"Probably, but what if she decided not to come? She was literally at our front door and ran off," he said, remembering the incident. This felt like the last piece of the puzzle falling into place, the last unfathomed part of his life was about to open up to Robyn. If they were to have anything meaningful together, his children would have to be a part of it and before the children, Galina. Always protective of his family, Roman felt nervous about taking this step, but excited as well.

"Yeah, _that. _If she ran because of me she needs to suck it up because she won't even meet my kids without going through me first!"

"_Our_ kids," he corrected.

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Right around the corner from the restaurant. Traffic is backed up due to fans taking over the city so I may end up getting out and walking the rest of the way. **

**Joe: Take your time. We won't order until you get here. **

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: We? **

**Joe: We as in me and u. **

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Oh. Traffic is moving now. **

**Joe: Tell the maitre'd that you're joining 'Roman Reigns'. **

"Damn!" Roman slammed his phone down knowing he lied and that it will probably make the situation worse. He looked over at Galina. This was the best she'd looked in a long time. Not that she ever looked bad but her style was usually simple and a bit conservative. Tonight, everything was a bit daring from her hair, makeup and dress. He wondered if it had to do with her not wanting to be shown up by Robbie. "You look nice."

"I've only been dressed like this for an hour but thank you for finally noticing," she remarked sarcastically.

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Here. **

"That's her," Roman announced, standing to look down over the balcony.

Robyn walked in wearing a dress that might've been a little _too_ sexy. It was short and tight with a low, draping front and an even lower back.

Galina walked up beside him to look down. "She doesn't look like an 18 year old pornstar but she definitely dresses like one. Judging by her profiles I thought she was a little classier than this. I'm surprised she didn't get turned around at the door."

"Be nice, don't start," he hissed.

"I'm always nice," she smiled before going back to the table.

Roman walked over to the stairs to meet her. She smiled up at him as she ascended. Once she was high enough, she finally spotted Galina. Her smile vanished. She looked confused and tried to adjust her dress but no amount of pulling would create more fabric to cover herself.

"What the hell is this, Joe?!" she hissed through her teeth.

"I told you she wanted to meet you," he replied.

"Yes, you did but this feels more like an ambush than a meeting. Do you see what I'm wearing? I'm dressed like this because I thought this was going to be a romantic date for the two of us that ended in a hotel room. Not a dating interview! Look at her, she's already judging me!"

Roman turned to look over his shoulder. Galina's face was blank. "That's just her resting face. Come on."

"H-hi, I'm uh," Robbie seemed nervous. Nervous enough to forget her own name so he took over for her.

"Galina, this is my girlfriend, Robyn. Robyn, this is my wife, uh, my ex-wife, uh, my soon to be...you know what, this is Galina," he introduced.

"How nice to meet you," Galina smiled politely.

"You too," Robbie sat down. The seating arrangement had her and Galina facing each other while he sat at the head of the table. He reached under the table and squeezed her knee comfortingly.

"I want to put it out there that this was not my idea for a first introduction and I feel just as awkward as you do," Galina stated.

"Good to know," Robbie chuckled, looking a bit more comfortable now.

He thought he'd have to break the ice but Galina asked Robyn about her necklace which led to Robyn asking Galina about her bracelet. He had to tune out as they talked about girl stuff like makeup, shoes and fashion. The food came back and it was time to drop the small talk and get into things.

"So, how did you two get together?" Galina questioned.

"It was the night of his comeback and I was kind of shy to meet him because he's _Roman Reigns_. We talked for a little bit but nothing flirtatious because I was still under the impression that he was married. I mean, he's still married but separated married if you know what I mean," Robyn overexplained and Galina nodded. "Then we talked again that night and exchanged numbers and we've been together ever since."

"That's it?" Galina blinked. "So basically it could've been _any_ pretty girl sitting with him right now because that first encounter doesn't sound very remarkable."

"No, it wasn't remarkable but the thing is, looks can get the man but they can't keep him. What happened after that is much more relevant. I'm not saying we're perfect for each other but we just work. We have so much in common, similar goals in life and we enjoy each other's company. Even in silence we can read each other," she paused when he reached over to grab her hand. "I'm aware that you gave me a background check so I'm sure you know that we have something else in common. I'm not trying to devalue what you went through with him not once but twice because I know the family goes through just as much pain as we do wondering if we'll make it through or not. It's a traumatic experience for everyone involved. However, only a fellow survivor can truly comprehend all of the emotions and fears of the journey. Will we get married and have 3 kids, who knows? But for right now, I feel like we're what's best for each other."

"Okay," Galina seemed impressed by her answer and Roman released a breath that he didn't know he was holding. "What's your experience with children? Any younger siblings? Nieces or nephews?"

"I'm the youngest and no nieces or nephews yet. I'm just going to be honest. I have no experience with children besides little interactions that I've had with young WWE fans," she admitted.

"I've been a witness to a few of those interactions and she's been great," Roman added. He didn't feel like Robyn's experience with children was relevant. She wasn't going to be their nanny or babysitter. She wasn't a pedophile and didn't have a criminal record. In fact, because of their schedule he himself only saw them 3 days a week and Robbie would see them less than that. The only thing that mattered to him was how she treated them and how they liked her. But of course he wasn't a mother and things were probably different from Galina's point of view.

Galina made a face but she didn't say anything related to what she was really thinking. She put her fork down. "I think I'm done."

"Me too," Robbie pushed her plate forward. "I'm going to be in the battle royal Sunday and at this rate I won't be able to fit into my gear."

Roman waved the waitress over so he could pay. He walked Robbie over to the stairs as he waited for the waitress to return with his card. "What are you getting ready to do?"

"Nothing, I'm going to shower and hit the sheets. You know we have a long weekend ahead of us," she replied. "What about you?"

"I'm going to be sleeping with you this weekend _but _because the kids don't know about the separation I'll have to be in Galina's room until they go to sleep so I can sneak down the hall to your room."

"I'll be waiting," she gave him the key to her room before starting her journey down the stairs.

"That went well,_ I guess_," Galina commented.

"What do you think?"

"Compared to some of the girls on the roster...you could've done worse," she said.

"G!" he pressed her for a serious answer.

She sighed. "Alright, alright. Robyn seems like a good match for you but I'm not sold on her as a stepparent. There's nothing about her that screamed mother material. There's so much more to it than being able to interact with children your job requires you to interact with."

"I have an event tomorrow at a children's hospital. I'll be there for a few hours and I wanted to bring Jojo along to see what I do to help others. Robyn is my partner on this and I think it'll be a good opportunity for them to get to know each other…"

"I'm not okay with Jojo meeting your girlfriend after only a month or so and in any other instance I'd say no but because of the event it's fine as long as she's meeting Robyn as your coworker _only_," Galina made clear. "The separation and you moving on to someone else is not a conversation I'm ready to have with her yet."

Roman knocked on his mother's hotel room door. The children ran out of there like they were escaping from prison which made him laugh. "Thanks, Mom."

They all piled into Galina's room. The room had an adjoining door which is where the kids would sleep. It was no trouble getting Jojo into bed but the boys still wanted to run around. They seemed extra hyper and he wondered if his mom snuck them any candy.

"It's time for you two to go to sleep," Roman looked down at them and they climbed in Galina's bed. "No, in _your_ room."

"We want to sleep with you," one said and the other agreed with a nod.

"No, go over there and keep your sister company so she won't be alone," he replied.

"With _you_!" they appeared to be on the verge of tears.

"Joe…" Galina said. "Just for little bit."

"Fine, just until they go to sleep," he said, kicking off his shoes and sliding under the sheets.

**Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Still coming?**

**Joe: Yep, leave the light on for me. **

As he laid there he felt sleepy. The boys were still wallowing around and talking to each other so his wait would be longer than expected. Maybe if he just rested his eyes…

* * *

_**Him: Yep, leave the light on for me. **_

Robbie woke up with the light still on. She checked her phone and found no explanation text. Walking into the bathroom, she ripped off some of the sexy lingerie pieces that went to waste. She angrily showered and broke bristles on her toothbrush at the force she scrubbed. She jerked her hair into a ponytail and tugged on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. As she applied makeup, she heard her door open and close.

Roman's body appeared in the doorframe. "Please don't be mad."

"Who am I to get mad at a husband for sleeping with his own wife?" she mumbled.

"Yes, we slept together, _literally_ slept together. The twins wanted to sleep with us and you know how they are if they can't have their way."

"Yeah," she cringed thinking back to their shrieks during his FaceTime call that time.

"I was only going to stay until they went to sleep but I fell asleep first," he appeared to be telling the truth. He looked down at the floor. "Pasties and a thong? What the hell did I miss out on?"

"If you showed up last night you'd know," she muttered, sliding on lip gloss.

"Galina is getting Jojo ready so we actually have time today…" he said, moving to stand behind her.

"_You_ do, I don't," she replied.

"Really, Rob? If you look at me for more than 3 seconds you're ready to go. If I slid my hand down into your panties right now I bet you're wet," he said, testing his theory. "Yep."

"Well, you see, I, uh. _Oh_ _yeah_, I just got out of the shower before you walked in and I was in a hurry so I put my clothes on without drying myself," she lied. "Whatever, you caught me. Let's do it before I change my mind."

Roman peeled her jeans and underwear down to her knees and bent her over the vanity, taking a step back to enjoy the view. He kneeled behind her and she felt his breath on her ass, followed by a kiss. He ran his hands up and down her butt, letting his fingernails leave goosebumps as they barely slid over the soft flesh. Finally, his warm tongue touched her outer lips, licking and probing her. Moaning, she slid one leg out of her jeans so she could spread her legs to give him better access. His tongue slid over her entrance, and continued down until he found her nub, which he sucked between his lips.

He stood up behind her and she could hear his zipper pull down. She could feel the tip of his penis resting on her ass. He put one hand on the small of her back to steady himself. She felt the top of his thighs hit the back of hers. They were very still, his cock buried deep inside her. He took a handful of ass in each hand and pulled himself out and then sank it back in just as deep.

"Holy fuck, Joe!" her forehead dropped against the cold counter but he jerked her ponytail forcing her to look at herself in the mirror. Her face was frozen in pleasure.

She knew that she wouldn't last much longer with each deep thrust of his hard cock into her tight walls, and she could feel him throbbing, knew that he was holding back until she released first. She arched her back further and pushed against him chasing the orgasm. His thrusts started to become more erratic as he began to lose his rhythm the closer that he came to climax.

He grabbed hold of her ponytail again to pull her up to a standing position. Her head turned to find his lips. She felt so wet around his hard cock as he thrust deeper into her, each thrust faster and harder than the last. Her legs became weak as she let go of herself. With one final push, he exploded with a loud groan.

They were both breathing hard and she could see in the mirror that they wore matching smiles as he slowly withdrew.

"There," he said, "Now you can't be mad at me anymore, not after that award-winning fuck!"

"Get over yourself! That wouldn't even make the top 10 of our sessions," she teased.

His phone dinged and he picked it up. "Jojo's ready."

"Walk slow there and then walk slow on the way back. I kind of have to clean up."

"I want to watch," he leaned against the wall to get comfortable.

"Go!" she giggled.

About ten minutes later, she heard a knock on her door. She looked through the peephole and Roman was standing there with Jojo. She opened the door and Jojo shyly moved into the shadow of her father.

"Jojo, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Roman said, bringing Jojo closer to the doorway. "This is my coworker Robyn, but you can call her Robbie or Rob for short."

"Hi," they both awkwardly spoke at the same time.

Robbie couldn't tell who Jojo looked like. She was a perfect blend of both parents. "Your dad talks about you a lot so in a way it feels like we've already met. He told me that he gets stuck watching Nickelodeon all the time on his off days. Don't tell anyone this because it may ruin my reputation but I still watch Nick and Disney sometimes."

Jojo's eyes narrowed and her head tilted a little like she didn't believe her. She looked exactly like Galina now. "What's your favorite shows?"

"The Loud House on Nick and Raven's Home on Disney because I grew up watching That's So Raven," Robbie answered her test question. Roman gave her the thumbs up and Jojo smiled slightly but didn't reply.

Roman looked at his watch. "The event doesn't start until 10 and it's 9 so I thought we could grab breakfast downstairs."

The ride down the elevator was quiet and a little uncomfortable.

"So...how old are you?"

"Eleven," Jojo replied simply.

When they made it to the hotel restaurant, Roman led them to a table with four chairs, two on one side, two on the other. Jojo sat on one side, Robyn sat on the other and Roman took a seat beside Robyn. Jojo frowned, obviously expecting him to sit beside her.

"I bet you're really excited for Wrestlemania weekend," Robbie asked.

"Yes," she mumbled.

"Robyn is a cancer survivor as well," Roman said.

"That's good," Jojo replied dryly.

**Robbie: Did Galina tell her about me or something?**

**Him: No, she doesn't know about the breakup, much less a potential stepmom. Jojo is just shy around new ppl. Give her some time. **

The event was going well. She hung back for a while, letting him do most of the work but she became comfortable soon after and found that she genuinely liked meeting the children and hearing their stories from the parents.

However, every time Roman and Robbie were alone for more than a minute, Jojo would come between them.

"You two are such an inspiration for these children. My son has been feeling down lately but when I told him that we were coming here today he's a new little boy. Thank you," a mom wiped tears from her eyes.

"It's just us again so I have to say this quickly before Jojo returns but I think she senses something between us…"

"What? No. She's only 11," he brushed it off.

"Her 11 is different from our 11. The kids nowadays have cellphones, internet and Netflix. This generation is far more perceptive and aware than ours. Does she know that we're dating on the low? No. But she does know that I'm a woman getting too close to her dad and clearly it doesn't sit well with her."

"You may be right," he replied. "This shit is getting more complicated by the minute."

"And...here she comes," Robbie whispered.

Progress was made. Jojo was standoffish for a while but as time went by, she became more accustomed to Robbie's presence.

The two walked over to the refreshment table together. Robbie picked up a frozen popsicle and looked at the caterer. "Hey, do you have one that isn't frozen? I like to drink the juice."

"Me too!" Jojo said.

"Make that two," Robbie smiled down at her. They got their liquid popsicles and walked away.

Jojo had a question. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Uh, no…"

"Why not? You're really pretty."

"Well, you know how your dad is away a lot because of WWE?" she asked and Jojo nodded. "I'm on that same schedule. He already had you guys before so all he had to do was maintain his family. I didn't have anyone before WWE so it's hard for me to establish a new relationship being away so much."

"Are you going to the thing tomorrow? Maybe you'll meet someone there."

"The thing?" Robbie raised a brow before it clicked. "Oh, you mean the Hall of Fame?"

"Yes," Jojo confirmed.

"I'm going but I'm not really looking for anyone. We'll see what happens," Robbie hated this conversation because it was going to bring Jojo so much confusion in a few months when she ended up with her dad. She may even blame Robbie for her parent's marriage falling apart.

"What color is your dress?"

"Yellow."

"My mom's dress is blue," she crossed her legs. "I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

By that time, Roman walked over. "You two getting along well enough for her to give you a good report when Galina asks?"

"We're getting along just fine. Speaking of Galina, Jojo mentioned the Hall of Fame. Please tell me you're not taking her!"

"Why not? You knew from day 1 that we were going to keep up appearances," he said.

"Okay, it's one thing to wear your ring and vaguely talk about her in interviews but this is too much!"

"What was I supposed to do? Not bring her and go alone?"

"Skip it all together! No one would assume anything beyond, '_they must've had other plans or it's been a busy weekend for Roman, maybe he's tired.'_ You're not thinking ahead about how messy this is going to be," she shook her head. "Let me break things down. This will be the timeline through the public's eyes: 1. You and I have been working together. 2. You and Galina show up to the Hall of Fame looking like a happily married couple. 3. You divorce. 4. We come out as a couple. 5. All hell breaks loose. You tell me what everyone's going to think! And you aren't going to come out and say '_we were separated already'_ because that would defeat the purpose of this whole charade. It looks suspicious as hell!"

"What do you want me to do, Robyn?"

"I said what I said and I'm going to let you make your own decision," she replied. "Keep in mind if you go, you'd have to push the divorce back to September or October because who's going to believe that from April to July you two just up and decided to divorce after appearing together all couple-ly tomorrow? It's bad enough the basis of your feud with Drew has you talking about your wife. Please don't take this as a jealous rant because it's not. I'm just trying to protect myself in the fallout, okay?"

Roman inhaled deep through his nose. "It seems that I have a lot to think about. Give me some time to mull it over and I'll come up with a decision."

* * *

"Today was fun. It was nice meeting you, Joelle," Robyn smiled at Roman and Jojo when they walked her to her room. She gave him a secret wink and he winked back before she entered her room.

"Sooo…" he said as he walked alone with his daughter. "Did you enjoy yourself today?"

"I did," she nodded. "I thought it would be boring because it was a hospital but it turned out to be fun."

"Did you like Robbie?"

"Yeah, she was nice…"

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: I almost forgot. Jojo is a very intelligent and well spoken child. Galina is doing a wonderful job. **

**Joe: Galina? What about me?**

**R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: I think the one who is there the most should get the most credit. However, I see a lot of your traits in her so I'll give u that. **

This was perfect. Robyn seems to have accepted his daughter and Jojo seems to have accepted her..as his coworker. How she'd react when they became a couple remained to be seen.

"Let's see what your mom and the twins are up to," Roman said, sliding the keycard into the door. He was getting ready to open his mouth when he swung it open but Galina put a finger to her lip and pointed to the two sleeping bodies on the bed.

She waved them over into the kid's room. "It took me forever to put them down. How was your day, Jojo?"

"Fine," Jojo replied.

"Did you meet your father's coworker?" Galina asked and Jojo nodded. "Was she nice?"

"Yeah. I thought things would be awkward but she was relatable…"

"Awkward? Relatable?" Roman snorted. "Do you even know what those words mean?"

"Uhm, I'm 11, not 6. They give us harder words in spelling bees," Jojo told him.

"Well excuse me," Roman laughed.

"You're excused," Galina replied. "Your sister is going to come over in a few hours to watch them."

"Where are we going?"

"Out," was all Galina replied.

A few hours later they stepped onto the elevator. Roman sighed. There was no right time to do this but he knew it had to be done. "About the Hall of Fame...how would you feel about skipping it?"

Galina raised a brow. "What's wrong? Are you tired? I know you had a busy day today."

"No, but if we're really pulling the plug on our marriage, it might be best to wean the fans off of the image of us together," he responded.

"Hmm, you had no problem up until this point. Wonder what changed your mind," she muttered accusingly.

"Yes, Robyn brought it to my attention but honestly, she's right. We can't walk in there hand in hand, I can't put my arm around your shoulder when we sit or exchange looks without raising suspicion when we abruptly divorce," he explained. "I'm sure the fans are going to miss our annual photo-op but they'll survive."

"I guess they will," she replied, folding her arms. "For the record, I had my heart set on going but I can't go alone so if you aren't willing what can I do?"

"Oh yeah, she texted me this earlier," he showed her Robyn's texts about Joelle.

"Stop!" Galina groaned, pushing his phone away. "I'm trying so hard to hate this bitch but neither of you are making it easy."

"As it should be!"

She led him into the hotel's restaurant where they met with his cousins and their wives. This was one of the only times of year where they could come together as a family and hang out.

"How is the transition going?" Trinity asked.

"Fine, apparently," Galina answered. "He's moved on and I've already met her. Jojo, too."

"Whaaaat?" Trinity gasped, looking at him in shock. "With who?"

"Robyn," Roman said.

"Robyn? From Raw?" Trinity exclaimed. She opened her mouth but closed it. "I'm just going to be quiet on that one."

"What?" Galina curiously scooted closer.

"Well, the tea is...she's a lesbian."

Roman laughed, shaking his head. "I guess you missed the statement she issued denying it."

"Do you know how many closeted gay or lesbian celebs have denied it before the truth came out years later?"

"Trust me, Trin, she's _not_ a lesbian," Roman said with conviction.

"Sorry, sis, that's the only 'bad' thing I had," Trinity told Galina. "Other than that, she's a sweetheart and quiet. I've been in the lockerroom with pretty much every girl on the roster and trust me, there are some shady women who could've gotten their claws into him. I'll be watching her though just in case she's sneaky so don't worry."

Robyn was sleep when he made it back to the room so he stripped off his clothes and joined her.

He woke to a loud thump on the floor the next morning. When he squinted his eyes open, he saw Robbie fully dressed carrying one shoe while the other, _the thump_, was on the floor.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered.

He sat up against the headboard with a groggy moan. The time on his watch was 6:53. "You have an event this early?"

"No, I'm from Brooklyn, remember? I'm going to spend some time with my family and friends today. It's early but I'm trying to get out before fans get to stirring and back up traffic," she replied, stepping into her shoes. "What are you going to get into today?"

"Media rounds and interviews," he yawned. "It's going to be a long one."

"Oh, I don't have those problems because who'd want to interview me and what would we talk about?" she said it jokingly but he could hear undertones of sadness in her voice. "Anyway, my dad is waiting downstairs so I have to go."

"And you're not going to let me meet him?" Roman snorted humorously.

"_Hey dad, meet my still-married boyfriend_. I'm sure that'll go over _so _well," she laughed, walking toward the door. "I'll catch up with you later."

Roman sat up when the door snapped shut, grabbing his phone. He scrolled down his contacts until he found Vince. It rung a few times before he answered. "You weren't sleep, were you?"

"You know I don't sleep," Vince chuckled.

"There's two things we need to discuss. The first, I won't be able to make it to the Hall of Fame tonight so you can have the seating chart rearranged. The second, this is random but who's expected to win the women's rumble tomorrow?"

"It's not set in stone yet but we're looking at Carmella since she's from New York and MetLife is only 8 miles away in Jersey so she'll get a local pop. Why? I wouldn't think the results of this of all matches would be of interest to you," Vince inquired.

"I spent some time at the children's hospital with Robyn yesterday and she was great. I know we already discussed including her into the show more post-Mania but I think she needs a Wrestlemania moment and like Carmella, she's a New Yorker," Roman usually wasn't one to use backstage politics and he wouldn't be doing it now if he thought she didn't deserve it.

"I'll see what I can do, Joe."

"Thanks, and Vince? This conversation never happened," Roman insisted.

* * *

Robbie didn't ask Roman about his decision on the Hall of Fame because she was scared of the answer. If he went he'd only dig himself into a deeper hole. Her heart sank a little when she returned to the room and he wasn't there. It was only an hour before the red carpet kickoff so naturally she assumed he was getting ready down in Galina's room.

She looked elegant in her yellow floor-length bodice gown with a dramatic thigh-split and flowing train. The dress was entirely encrusted with sequins and it had a low-cut neckline. She wore the look with silver open toed heels and her hair swept over in a side part styled in loose waves.

"You look amazing, Robyn, who are you wearing?" Charly asked holding the mic to her.

"Thank you, it's Versace," she answered.

"On Sunday you'll be taking part in the battle royal, can I get your thoughts on that?"

"Of course I'm looking to win although I'm sure every participant that's asked that question is going to answer the same."

"Let's talk about the first women's Wrestlemania main event happening tomorrow. Are you excited?"

"As a woman in this business, I'm ecstatic that we're having the first female main event. However, I can't lie, I'm more excited for the aftermath of it so more of us can get into the picture. I was brought up to the main roster unexpectedly and I've been coasting ever since with no direction. Nobody in our locker room has a direction if we're being honest. Minus the women's tag title scene, both rosters have been decimated for the sake of the triple threat. Post Mania I plan on making myself more visible…" she trailed off when the crowd started cheering out of nowhere. She felt numb expecting to see Roman and Galina but it was just Becky. "...because it's finally my time and my presence will be felt."

"Thank you, Robbie, I'll let you get to your seat," Charly replied, bringing the interview to a close.

She was shown to her seat on the second row. Pulling out her phone, she checked social media and found that most considered her best dressed so far.

**Him: Excellent promo. **

Robbie looked around and there was no sign of him.

**Robbie: Where r u?**

**Him: With my parents and the rest of my family. We have the Network on. **

**Robbie: If I'd known u weren't coming I wouldn't have either! I assumed u were but the only reason I still came is 1. because I didn't want to feel pathetic in my room eating ice cream and pouting about it & 2. I wanted to tease you with how good I looked only to deny you sex when u made it back to the room as punishment. **

**Him: You look stunning. I can't wait to run my hand up that split tonight. **

**Robbie: How did Galina take it?**

**Him: Uh...a gown, shoes & jewelry that cost enough to buy a small car went to waste and she's not returning any of it out of spite so not well...but she understood. **

Robbie monitored social media throughout the ceremony and saw multiple fans bummed about the no show of Roman and Galina. Twitter and Instagram was filled with nothing but couple stanning, screencaps and vids. Every move a couple made, every glance at each other and every smile was gushed about. _This_ is what she was warning him about and she was glad he listened.

He was sitting on her bed when she got back to the room. "What the hell happened?"

"It was horrible," she plopped down beside him. "I know some saw the guy coming but I was focused on Bret so when I saw him being tackled I was legit shocked. All hell broke loose after that."

"I know some fans are hardcore attention seekers and want to get themselves over by doing stupid shit sometimes but that's the most disrespectful act I've ever seen in my life," he shook his head. "What else?"

"Nothing much. Oh yeah, things got really awkward when Hogan came out. A lot of people didn't know how to react, some reluctantly stood and clapped, some just snubbed him, Becky left. Thankfully, I was behind Braun and he's tall so when he stood no one noticed me still sitting with my head down on my phone," she laughed. "It was an okay night but you didn't miss anything."

"Except this," as promised he ran his hand up the split of her dress until he reached his destination.

* * *

Changed into her gear, Robyn was ready for tonight. The locker room was filled with selfies and half-done hair and makeup. She looked at the monitor and the cruiserweight match was just beginning on the preshow. There was a knock on their door and they knew it was time to start filing out.

Robbie was pulled aside before she entered gorilla by Vince. She knew confusion was evident all over her face as she faced him.

"We booked you to win tonight," he told her.

"Me?" she pointed to herself in disbelief. "Why?"

He blinked, taken aback. "Most people don't ask questions. They just celebrate their impending victory."

"Oh, sorry!" she apologized. "It just caught me by surprise. I don't know how you came to this decision but thank you!"

So many things popped into her head. _Why?_ Especially over top contenders participating. She wondered if this had to do with the post-Mania push they discussed a month ago. If she'd known she was winning she would've had special gear made. When the tickets went on sale, she dragged on it and by the time she went to purchase, the front row and floor seats were sold out. Had she known she'd be winning she would've rushed to get her parents front row. They were close but nothing compares to be able to look them in the eyes and walk over to them as you celebrate your victory.

Every woman had a flare in their eyes as they walked down the ramp. Robbie stopped and inhaled, taking in the atmosphere filled with electric emotions. Thousands of cameras flash in unison. She looked above at the open roof towards the sky. Her breath became heavier, heart beat heavier as she reads the sign, WrestleMania.

WrestleMania was the night when destinies are realized. It was the night when some dreams came true. Legacies are defied, legacies are defended and legacies are born here tonight.

This wasn't like the Royal Rumble where the entrances were timed. Everyone was in there together and it began as a clusterfuck of bodies trying to get their stuff in before being thrown out. Finally, it came down to her and Carmella. They went back and forth for a while before Robbie dumped her over.

"_And your winner, Robyn!' _

Because they were New Jersey and she was a New Yorker, she received a loud pop. She stood on the top rope and squinted her eyes to find her parents. They were in the stands, the first row behind the floor seats.

She rolled out of the ring and went over to the trophy, moving to grab it.

"No, it's too heavy, that's why we're leaving it on the stand," someone from ringside staff told her.

"I don't care. It's mine!" she strained to pick it up and her knees gave out a little but she eventually got it over her head.

"Get the shot, get the shot, get the shot," she hissed through her smile clenched teeth at the photographer as he stood in front of her. When he nodded she put it back down with an exhausted sigh.

The bad thing about being a "secret" was no one was there to greet her when she walked through the curtains. Of course she got mumbled 'congratulations' in passing but it would've been nice to actually see _him _but it was only a throwaway preshow thing and he had an actual match to prepare for.

Everyone else was congratulating Roman when he returned backstage after defeating Drew McIntyre so she decided to blend in.

"You were awesome out there," she complimented.

"Thanks, so were you," he replied which made her smile.

"Where those your little boys out there?" she asked.

"Yep, they're mine. This was their first time being at a show. I didn't know how it would go because they're only 2 and a half but they were great and were watching me every step of the way," he gushed like a proud dad.

"Yeah, for the brief seconds they were shown they looked really into it," she laughed. "I'm not going to hold you up any longer. I'm sure you want to go shower and enjoy the rest of your night."

"I do," he smirked.

Her hotel room swung open and he entered. She attacked him with kissing as she jumped on him.

"Congratulations," he mumbled in between kisses when he saw the trophy in the corner.

"I was so surprised when he told me I was winning," she said. "I couldn't believe it! I assumed they'd give it someone like Asuka to pacify the fans who were upset at her losing the title the way she did. Or at least someone who's been prominent within the last few months."

"Who knows why they make the decisions they make but it could've have been given to a better woman," the corner of his lips twitched as he controlled the forming of a smile.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You didn't have anything to do with this, did you? Because I warned you already that I didn't want any interference from you. It'll only make things harder when I become _Roman Reigns girlfriend._"

"No! I didn't even know the results of my own match, let alone yours," he assured her with a dismissive wave of his hand.

With that settled, she opened her robe. "Victory sex time!"


	7. Chapter 7

Robyn was curled into fetal position on the hotel bed Monday morning as Roman sat up. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," she quickly wiped her eyes.

"_Nothing_ is an odd reason to cry," he replied. "Did you get another call from the oncologist?"

"No, I was browsing Twitter this morning and one of the kids we visited at the hospital during Mania weekend has died," she choked back a fresh set of tears.

"What?" Roman exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah," she passed him her phone. "Her family posted a picture of her with us that day and then shared the news."

"Wow, that's sad," he shook his head.

The harsh reality was slowly setting in. She knew that taking on such a campaign had the risk of death but being confronted with it left her devastated. "I don't want to do this anymore. I can't give any more kids false hope."

"We aren't giving them false hope," he replied quietly. "We're just conveying a positive attitude, giving them our support and role models who were in the fight to look up to."

"Personally, I think this is a right message, wrong messenger situation. We walk in there like _look at us all famous, rich and attractive. We did it, you can do it too_!"

"And they can," he said confidently.

"But what about the ones that won't, like this little girl?" she argued. "It's what I was telling you that day in the car. Everyone won't be as lucky as you were, Joe."

"If we can reach one kid fighting for their life and they can somehow use us as an image, give them something to work toward and give them the strength to keep going, then we've done our job. Even if things take a turn for the worse, by visiting them, we made their dreams come true. Just look at how happy she was in that photo with us. Us dropping by that day probably meant everything to her!"

"I guess you're right," she acknowledged with a nod. "So, what do you want to do? I can't go to a child's funeral. It's too sad but I guess we can write the family a letter and remember to send them a Christmas card at the end of the year to show that we still care."

"That's a good idea with the Christmas card. Christmas, along with her birthday is going to be the hardest times for them. WWE has also set up a foundation to help with funeral expenses and lingering hospital bills if needed so there's that," he said. "Are you feeling better now?"

"A little," she replied, still knowing that this would only make things harder. "Do you know where you're going yet?"

"Going?" he raised a brow.

"The shakeup, silly," she laughed.

"No, not yet. There's been talk of Fox wanting a few top stars on Smackdown for the move in October."

"Top stars? Well, if that's the case you're definitely going to Smackdown and I'm staying on Raw," she snorted.

"Not necessarily. They can't send everybody to Smackdown because then Raw's ratings would plummet so someone's going to need to stay and hold it down," he said.

"Seth and maybe whatever top star Smackdown sends over can do that. If we get separated, we'll never see each other. It's been hard enough spending time together since you haven't been on the road all this time."

"We're not going to get separated, babe. Are you forgetting we're partners?" he asked.

"That doesn't mean anything. We don't necessarily have to visit together. In fact more ground would be covered that way. Like today, we're going to a children's hospital at 2. Once that's over, that's it for the week. If we get separated, they'll send me to the one in Raw's city and you to another in Smackdown's city. It's happening, I can feel it," she dived face first into her pillow.

He rolled on top of her back. "You're so negative."

"And you're so positive which is why we work. We balance each other," she smiled.

Laying fully over her, he pushed her hair aside, licking her neck and shoulders. She writhed and squirmed beneath him, thrusting her ass up against him in a silent plea. He ground against her in return, but would not enter. Using only the tip, he teased her opening before plunging all the way into her and they both gasped at the feel of it.

She arched her back slightly to give him more access. He grabbed both of her hands and locked his fingers in hers, holding them down as he positioned himself better.

She was wild beneath him now. Panting and whimpering, she squirmed and shoved back against him. He was sweating as hard as she was.

He released one of her hands and snaked his hand underneath her. His fingers found her clit and gently touched it. Then he started to grind and plunge into her. He slid in and out at an easy pace, letting the movement of his thrusts create the friction against her clit as he filled her ear with whispers.

By this point she could only groan. He began to move faster against her. She could feel herself clenching around him and he altered his movements to push longer and harder into her, forcing her to come.

Breathing hard, they both collapsed still entangled with each other. He kissed her neck and rubbed her sides lovingly.

Pulling away he looked at his phone. "12:40. It's time to make moves if we want to be on time for this appearance."

He stood while she remained on her pillow admiring his wide shoulders and back. In July he would officially be hers. He was such a man and it showed in everything he did. That was one of the reasons she loved being around him. Actually, the more time she spent with him, the worse she felt when he wasn't around which is why she'd be crushed if they were separated tonight. "Joe?"

"Hmm?"

"I really, _really_ like you," she said.

"I really, _really_ like you, too," he extended his hand in invitation. "Come shower with me."

* * *

"What?" Roman asked when he saw Robyn staring at him as he got dressed.

"I've never been inside your closet at home but I'm pretty sure you only own ring gear, plaid suits and athletic wear like sweatpants and basketball shorts," she joked.

"That's not entirely true. I own a few pairs of jeans, too," he shot back.

"Oh, my mistake. How can I forget your jeans and the plain white and black t-shirts you wear with them."

"I'm a simple man with simple taste," he replied.

"I know and it works. I can't imagine you wearing the latest male trends. Half of the guys who do it, look try hard. Also, I hope I'm not included in your…simple taste," she questioned.

"No, you're extremely high end," he saw a smile forming on her lips but it faded when he slipped his wedding band on. "Don't worry. We only have a few more months before it comes off."

It was too early to call what he felt for Robyn love but there was an energy, a happiness, and a hope she'd brought out of him when they were together.

Roman preferred the hospital visit during Mania weekend. It felt more candid than today where there were WWE cameras rolling in their faces trying to collect footage. As always the children waiting for them in the hospital playroom were happy to see them. The kids seem to love the attention and fully embraced being superheros, little fighters. Robyn was friendly to kids but he could tell she was a bit more reserved than usual. He understood her point of view but at the end of the day they still needed reassurance that they could do this.

"I know you guys aren't going to individual rooms because everyone is here and set up in the playroom but my son is a big fan," a mom told them. "He has a terminal cancer and has only been given months to live."

"Okay," Roman agreed.

"We're in room 303 on the other end of the hall," she said.

A cameraman began following but he turned to them. "I think this should be private."

Robyn grabbed his arm to stop him as they trailed the mom down the hall. She shook her head. "I can't do this. I can't go in there and smile and pretend like everything is okay when it's not. I'm just going to sit this one out."

"Rob..." he sighed, running a hand down his face. "She asked both of us."

"She probably didn't want to be rude by asking only you when I was standing there too. He probably won't care if I'm there or not," she shrugged.

He shook his head in disappointment as she walked away. He didn't even respond as he continued his path to the room.

"What happened to Robyn?" the mom whispered when he approached the doorway.

"Robbie wasn't feeling very well so she had to step out to get some air," he lied.

"I hate that. He was really excited to see both of you win at Wrestlemania. It made him feel good to see two people like him come out on top. His name is Harvey."

"That's why we do this," he smiled. He followed her into the room. The boy was facing away, looking out the window. Roman cleared his throat. "Harvey?"

"Roman Reigns!" Harvey's first reaction was excitement and then he broke out into tears. Roman went over and hugged him. "You came."

"Of course I did buddy!"

"They told me that you were here today but I thought they were playing a trick on me. Where's Robyn?"

"Uh, she's…" Roman started, trying to think of an excuse.

"...right here!" Robbie finished his sentence from behind.

They talked to him for about 20 minutes. He was sad to see them leave and honestly they were sad to go.

"You surprised me back there," Roman said as they rode the elevator down.

"Yeah, I felt like shit when you walked away. That's when I realized that the kid didn't deserve my bitterness. They need someone to assure them that they're stronger than the disease and that they have the ability to fight it..._even if it's not true sometimes_," she mumbled the last part under her breath. "If us being there and spending that time with him made him feel better, great!"

WWE posted a picture of them with the kids earlier on Instagram and tagged the hospital so fans were gathered outside. Robbie practically ran out of the door ahead of him to create distance between them. The less contact they made with each other in public the better.

Roman was summoned to Vince's office when he made it to the arena. He knocked before entering. On the desk in front of him was a list and he found his name under Smackdown. Since his debut, Raw had been his home. He as well as his family had gotten accustomed to the Friday through Monday schedule. Now he'd have to get used to Saturday through Tuesday while they were still on USA and Thursday through Sunday when they moved to FOX in October. He looked over at the women's section. Robbie's name was still listed under RAW.

"Is this list official?"

"It is," Vince confirmed. "We worked on it all weekend. Is there a problem?"

"Yes, for the sake of our pediatric hospital visits, I think Robyn should go where I go," Roman replied.

"Hmm…" Vince sat back in his chair. "First it was the battle royal and now this. I've been in this business since before you were born. You don't think I know what's going on? This isn't the first affair I've witnessed and it definitely won't be the last. I must say I'm very disappointed in you. You're in the position you're in because I _thought _you were a responsible guy. You were someone I could trust that I knew wouldn't say or do anything controversial, knew wouldn't get arrested for DUIs or something stupid, and knew wouldn't land himself in a sex scandal. We've worked hard to market you as a good, clean, wholesome family man. Now you're going to jeopardize that for Robyn? I should've known when you called that meeting between me, Hunter and Steph to pitch the idea about you two working together that this wouldn't end well especially after Stephanie tried to include another cancer survivor, Zack Ryder in on it and you protested. She's a beautiful girl but she's not worth the risk. I can't allow it. You will go to Smackdown, she will remain on Raw and that's final."

Roman planned on telling Vince about the divorce _eventually _but now that he was on to them he had no other choice. "You're right about me and Robyn but it's not an affair. My wife and I are separated and will be filing in July. With me getting ready to go back on the road, I'll be away from my kids more often than not and if Robyn stays on Raw I'll be away from her too. She needs to be with me so I can devote every second of my time off to my family."

"Will this be a messy divorce?" Vince inquired. "I'm talking custody battles, infidelity, money disputes?"

"No, my wife and I are very amicable and we've got it all figured out. There will be no need for a custody battle. When I'm off, I'll spend time at her house until it's time for bed. During the summer they'll spend those three days at my house. There was no infidelity. There will be no money disputes. She won't get half but she's getting a lump sum, plus child support every month," Roman informed.

"Very good deal," Vince nodded. "If Cena's reputation survived a divorce, I guess yours will too. You and this girl have to be very, very careful about how you-"

"We're way ahead of you there, Vince," Roman interrupted. "The only reason you were able to figure it out is because I've come to you multiple times about her. We got this under control."

"If you say so," Vince reluctantly replied. "Just let me know a few weeks prior to filing so I can notify the PR team to help you draft a statement."

"I'll do that," Roman gripped the handles on the seat, preparing to stand. "Like last time, this conversation never happened. As a matter of fact, I don't want her to know that you know at all and just because we're dating doesn't mean she should receive preferential booking."

"The top guy's girl not receiving preferential booking? That's a new one," Vince snorted. "If that's the way you want it, I will respect your wishes. I did enjoy her performance last Sunday. I didn't take into account the crowd's reaction to her because she was local but the fans online who are _never _happy with anything received it well so if the smarks like her, she has something."

Roman returned to the locker room to get ready for his match tonight. He made sure to say his goodbyes to everyone he'd shared a bond with who were staying behind on Raw.

"Is there some kind of clause in your contract that says you can't be on the same brand with us?" Jey jokingly asked him.

"Nah," Roman chuckled. "They just know how wild we'd get if the 3 of us were together."

Roman went out for his match with Seth and Raw's newest pick, AJ Styles vs Corbin, McIntyre and Lashley. He would not miss those 3 opponents and the freshness of Smackdown was something he'd look forward to.

The match ended with them coming out on top and Roman looked around at Raw for the last time before exiting the ring.

Back at the hotel, he showered and waited on the bed until Robbie entered. "Where did you end up?"

"Smackdown, but I'm sure you already knew that," she mumbled.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Somehow, someway, Alexa got a copy of the official draft list. She was told that it was final and there was nothing anyone could say or do to change it. My name was still listed under Raw while you were listed under Smackdown. Then, before the show is over, I get told not to fly home tomorrow morning because there's been a change. Every single person on that list went where they were assigned...except me," she said. "Why do you think that is? Did you say something?"

"Yes," he admitted and she scoffed. "What? You sat in this room earlier pouting about us being separated. It happened and I took care of it. If that's what you call interference, so be it. It's better than the alternative."

"True, and I'm actually glad you took care of _that _but now I wonder what else you've taken care of. I'm going to ask you again, did you have something to do with my battle royal win or anything else?"

"No!" he replied knowing she'd be upset about the battle royal win and livid if she found out about how their campaign came to be.

She gave a relenting sigh before smiling. "Okay, I believe you. Smackdown, here we come!"


	8. Chapter 8

Robbie collapsed on Roman's chest, exhausted. Both of them panting with sweaty bodies pressed tightly together. "We need a new hobby."

"Why fix what's not broken?" he asked, sighing contently.

"I guess you're right," she rolled off of him and onto her pillow. "So, you were the locker room leader on Raw, does that carry over to Smackdown?"

"No, I can't walk in and step on anyone's toes in a lockerroom that has already been built and bonded but I will do all I can to make this place better, leader or not," he stated. "Are you going to be alright in your lockerroom?"

"Yeah, you know they had the NXT callups going back and forth between Raw and Smackdown anyway so I know most of the girls. Plus, Bayley, Mickie and Liv made the jump to Smackdown with me so I'll be alright."

"Oh, I almost forgot about your _girlfriend_, Sonya," he teased.

"Stop," she covered her face with a pillow. "I think people still lowkey believe those lesbian rumors but whatever."

They both showered, got dressed and Roman grabbed his bags to leave first.

Robbie sat on the bed. "I can't wait until the day when we'll be able to walk out of that door together."

"Soon," he leaned down to kiss her before walking out.

In school, she always hated walking into a room last and now was no different as she entered an extremely full Smackdown locker room. Upon her entrance, all eyes flicked to her and every action and conversation seemed to cease.

Robbie cleared her throat to break the awkward silence. "Hi…"

Most of them greeted her, smiled or went back to their business as she walked through and found a spot.

"Hey sexy lady," Sonya spoke.

"I believe that would be you," Robbie shot back at Sonya who was dressed in all black.

"So, who's booked tonight?" Mickie asked.

"Kairi has a short match with Peyton," Paige answered.

"We filmed a short backstage segment that'll air during their entrance and after that match we'll randomly come out to...clap," Mandy scoffed.

"Aren't Charlotte and Becky supposed to be facing off?" Robbie asked, remembering a promo tweet on it. Those two were noticeably absent from the locker room.

"Yeah, _again_. I'm not going to lie, it was bad enough when our time was getting cut for the triple threat before Mania," Carmella said. "Now we'll have to compete with Elias and his fifteen minute concerts and not to mention Roman!"

"Yep, and I love him but Roman's inclusion is going to kill us. I know they're trying to feature him in small doses so the fans won't turn on him again but once he hits the title scene, he's going to have 20 minute opening segments and 15 minute main events to close the show," Lana agreed. "We would definitely need 3 hours like Raw in order for all of us to be showcased properly instead of rushed matches and segments."

The subject changed to something else and they all went about discussing new things.

Sonya's head turned to Robbie. "Wait, I just thought about something, did your boyfriend get drafted here too?"

_Boyfriend_ seemed to be the trigger word that made heads turn in her direction.

"Boyfriend?" Ember raised a brow.

"Is he your beard?" Liv jokingly asked.

"Actually, the lesbian counterpart to beard is _skirt _and no, he is not," Robbie replied.

"Who is he?" Peyton asked.

"Uhm, I can't share that," Robbie shook her head. She especially couldn't share that it was the guy they accused of cutting their TV time.

"Lesbian rumors and a boyfriend that you can't name? _Hmm_," Billie smirked.

"Robyn is not a lesbian or bisexual and if she was, it's none of our business so stop the interrogation," Sonya defended. "I am so sorry. If I'd known they'd turn into a bunch of giddy school girls I wouldn't have brought it up."

"It's okay. The reason I'm not trying to share anything about him is because I'm not sure if the relationship will last. Honestly, I'm thinking about breaking up with him and waiting on someone worthwhile to come along," Robbie strategically said, planting seeds to be single by the time Roman divorces. "Trust me, when I get a good one, everyone will know. If anyone needs me, which I doubt, send them to catering because that's where I'll be."

She was just getting ready to dig into a slice of pizza when a member of the creative team approached her.

"The competitors for Money in the Bank are going to be announced Monday on Raw and you're included," he said.

"What?" Robbie sat up straighter, her mind trying to process what he'd just said. "Really?"

He nodded. "But, we can't just throw you in there with no build. You'll be in a match with Ember Moon tonight."

The match got off to a quick start due to time constraints with Ember attacking at the bell. Robyn rolled to the outside, but Ember used a flip dive off the middle rope onto her. Robbie took over by sending Ember shoulder first into the ring steps and then suplexed her onto the floor. Ember slammed her to the mat and hit a double foot stomp. Ember went for The Eclipse, but Robyn avoided and used that to take over, stomping on the elbow that took Ember out of action for months before her recent return. She further capitalized on Ember's elbow by putting her into a Kimura lock that Ember quickly tapped out of. They were portrayed as equals for the most part but Robbie needed the win since Ember was already established.

"That was a really great match," Roman complimented her in gorilla.

Robyn blushed, batting her lashes at him. "Thank you."

"As a veteran though, I need to give you some advice," he leaned down next to her ear and she waited curiously, expecting criticism. "Next time go up a size on the trunks because the ones you're wearing now kept riding up. The way your ass hung out has my dick ready to drag you into the nearest closet."

"Let's go," she whispered.

"Unfortunately, I have a dark match against Orton after the show," he replied. "Go ahead to the hotel room but don't change out of that gear. I want you just like that."

* * *

Roman made it home Wednesday afternoon. As always, his sons ran to him before he had both feet in the door.

Galina was next, kissing him on the cheek. "First full weekend back on the road. Are you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good," he replied. "I'm a little sore but that's to be expected. The _real_ test is going to be the European tour in May where I'll be on the road from the 8th to the 18th overseas, then Money in the Bank on the 19th and _then_ Smackdown that Tuesday."

"That's a long time," she took a deep breath. "Let me ask you a question, are you completely sold on Robyn?"

He didn't have to think very long. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"She's on Smackdown as well which means you'll be with her during that time period…"

"Yep," he confirmed. He hadn't thought about this yet. This will be the most time they've ever spent together and it would certainly make or break their relationship.

"If everything goes well between you two, when you come home I think it's going to be time to tell Jojo and your parents about the divorce."

This was the moment that Roman had been dreading since they first decided to separate last year. He knew he couldn't put it off forever and it had to be done. The only thing he could hope was that they, both his parents and Jojo accepted it.


	9. Chapter 9

Roman brushed a strand of hair out of Robyn's face before he leaned down to kiss her. The tour brought them closer than they could've ever imagined. It intertwined them both physically and emotional and he couldn't be happier.

"Alright, I have to catch my flight," he had to force himself away.

"Joe?" the look on her face was serious as she stared up at him.

"Hmm?" he asked, curious, watching her chest rise and her lip tremble for a moment.

"Joe, I...I...I love..." Robyn trailed off before clearing her throat. She shook her head slightly. "I love...the time we've spent together these last two weeks."

Roman nodded in agreement. "And just think, soon we'll be riding home on a plane together."

"Yeah, I hope everything goes well with Jojo when you break the news."

"Me too…"

The flight from Providence to Tampa was only 3 hours but it felt like an eternity. The entire ride his mind was fixated on having the second hardest conversations he'd ever have to have with Jojo; the first being telling her that his leukemia returned. This was something he never thought he'd have to do but since it's here, he had to deal with it.

"What's with this Wildcard stuff?" Galina asked after he made it home. "You're working both shows now?"

"Yeah, it's a ratings thing. My check reflects the extra load so there's that," he shrugged.

"I'm not concerned about the money, Joe. If they wanted you to work Raw, they should've left you there in the first place and you would've been home yesterday. We'll be transitioning soon and you'll be living with Robyn I assume so that extra day could've been spent here with the kids," she replied.

"Yeah, you have a point there," he acknowledged. Galina bringing it up caused him to inhale, fearing what was to come later on tonight. "Have you done any prep work or dropped any hints?"

"No, I was waiting for you so we could do it together."

"It's my first day home, do you think I should do it tonight or wait? You know Aladdin hits theaters Friday. We got married on a Disney cruise and A Whole New World was our wedding song so I was thinking we could go together as a family for old times sake before telling her," he suggested.

"That's very sweet, Joe but I think it should be done tonight and if she doesn't take it well, we'll have the next 2 days to talk about it. _Then_, on Friday if everything works out, we can all go together to show her that we're still a family no matter what."

Roman could barely speak as he drove Jojo home that evening. School was almost out for the summer and she talked about being able to attend more shows and pay per views on Sunday since she wouldn't have school the next day. She chatted peacefully unaware that her world would be shattered in the next few hours.

He watched as Galina set the table with Jojo's favorite foods, trying to set a conciliatory mood. Roman suspected that her nervousness was compelling her to do something positive in order to counteract the events for tonight.

They had insignificant conversations and there was a definite tension in the air between Roman and Galina, both trying to goad the other into initiating. Several times Roman cleared his throat to begin only to get cold feet and stop.

Finally, after several glasses of wine, Galina summoned the courage to go the next step. She pushed her chair back. "I'm going to take the boys to their room and I'll be back."

Jojo hummed, eating, while Roman stared down at his hands. Galina returned and took her place beside him. They held hands as Roman spoke. "Joelle…"

That seemed to get Jojo's attention because Roman rarely addressed her by her full name. She sat her fork down. "Yes?"

"We have something to tell you," Galina replied.

Jojo's eyes darted between them. "Are you having another baby?"

Galina shook her head. "No, sweetie, we're not."

"First let me start by stating what we're about to say has nothing to do with anything you've ever done and it's not your fault. Your mother and I love you and the boys very much. We've discussed this for a while and we think that we're better off as friends and coparents," he felt out of breath by the time he finished.

"What are you saying?" Jojo asked. She looked devastated so he knew that she understood but wanted to hear confirmation.

Galina took a deep breath. "Your father and I are divorcing."

"No!" Jojo spontaneously combusted into tears. "Why? You don't love each other anymore?"

"Of course we do. We will always love each other," Roman assured her.

"Well why? It's Robbie, isn't it? You're going to be with her now, aren't you?"

Roman and Galina looked at each other. There was no point in lying to her only for Robbie to pop up in a few months anyway. "Yes, but she had absolutely _nothing_ to do with what happened to us."

"That's right. This had nothing to do with anyone else especially Robbie who wasn't around when we made this decision," Galina added to confirm. "We love each other but sometimes that's not enough and I'm sure you'll understand when you're older. Joe will always be here for you and nothing will change."

"No he won't! He's barely here now! What was the point of him surviving leukemia if he was going to end up leaving us anyway?" Jojo pushed back hard from the table and ran to her room.

"Joelle!" Galina exclaimed, chasing behind her.

Roman watched in stunned silence. What just happened? He knew she wouldn't be okay with it but her last words shook him to the core.

The door slammed and Galina knocked. "Jojo, unlock the door! Joelle?!"

"Just give her some time and space," Roman said.

Galina walked back into the dining room looking equally shocked. She rubbed his back. "I am so sorry. I didn't think she'd react that way. She's just upset and didn't mean any of that."

"I messed up," he shook his head.

"It had to be done. I think I'm going to keep her home from school tomorrow. She's too upset and I don't want that nosey teacher of hers asking any questions that will lead to Jojo telling our business," Galina replied.

"That may be for the best," he sighed. A few hours later, he pressed his ears against the door and heard quiet sobs. He lightly tapped. "Jojo? Are you alright?"

"Go away!" she yelled. "I hate you and I hate your new girlfriend!"

Roman walked with his head hung low in a haze of guilt into the living room. This was bad. Though he doubted she legitimately hated him, this situation would for sure put a strain on their relationship. With him being gone 80% of the time, that wasn't something he could afford. He sat there wishing he could turn back the hands of time to a year ago when everyone was happy, before things got complicated. But then, that would mean he'd never have what he had with Robyn. _Shit, Robyn. _

Galina joined him on the sofa. "What are you thinking about?"

He shook his head. "What happened to us, G?"

"Somewhere along the line we stopped being open with each other, got sidetracked and things just seemed to slip away. I don't know," she shrugged.

He couldn't sleep that night as he stared up into the darkness of the room. Conflicted thoughts surged through every corner of his consciousness as he laid there torn between his want and his duty. Sure, he liked Robbie, a lot, dare he say more than like after the time they spent together on tour but he loved his family more. He knew he had a lot to think about and a lot to decide.

* * *

Robyn woke with a smile on her face early Thursday morning. She realized that she'd fallen in love with him during the tour. It almost slipped Wednesday morning before they separated but she decided to take some time away from him and evaluate her feelings before springing it on him. After sleeping on it, she was 100% convinced that her feelings were true. Now it was only a matter of when she'd tell him and how he'd react. It was obvious that he had feelings for her but she didn't know how deep they ran. With him leaving a marriage, what if he wasn't ready to hear those 3 words already. She decided to hold onto it until the time was right.

As she headed to the bathroom, she heard a knock on her door. Who would be looking for her at 9:30 AM? She tied a robe around herself and went to answer it. Looking through the peephole, she saw a tall, hooded figure.

"Joe? What are you doing here?" she asked as she swung the door open. When he removed his hood, she almost gasped. He looked like he hadn't slept at all last night, his brown eyes were bloodshot with bags underneath. "What's wrong?"

"Let's sit down," he said, walking over to the sofa. "We need to talk."

"Speaking of talk, how did it go with Jojo?" she inquired, sitting across from him.

Roman wouldn't make eye contact, looking at everything in the room except her. He sighed. "We told her last night. I thought she'd be better this morning but she's still not speaking to me."

"_Oh_," she replied softly, seeing how torn up he was over this. She walked over and placed a hand on his knee. "I know this is hard for you because that's your little girl and it's going to be hard for her for a while but she loves you and it may not be this week, the next week or the next but she'll come around."

Roman placed his hand on top of hers, shaking his head. "Robyn, being with you these last few months has been incredible, one of the highlights of my life for sure. You have awoken feelings in me that I thought I'd never have again after Galina and I'll always cherish the time we spent together but…"

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach and her throat went dry. "Joe, please don't finish that sentence if it ends the way I think it does."

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I decided to work things out with Galina. We're going to start marriage counseling once a week."

Robyn scoffed. "Work things out, huh? That simple. Marriage counseling may temporarily fix things but those underlying issues are going to eventually resurface and remind you why you split in the first place. Mark-my-words."

"Please don't be like this," he pleaded. "What we had was special but I'm just trying to do the right thing for my children."

"If you wanted to do what's right for your children, you'd show them what real, genuine love is and that's what we could've had instead of forcing yourself back into a marriage that didn't work out. It's only going to lead to resentment and guess what? That's not healthy for them at all and the older they get, the more they'll sense it," she argued.

"You say that as if I don't love her!" he countered. "Our biggest issues were caused by lack of communication."

"Guess what? You've been communicating with her since you separated last year and no sparks have reignited. Hell, if they didn't reignite organically during the 4 most emotional months of your life when your cancer returned, chances are it's not going to happen now. You know what, I'm not about to fight for someone else's husband. You want to reconcile, good for you but if you expect me to wish you the best, I can't. And don't think you're going to run back to me when this all blows up in your face! It's time for you to go," she forcefully said, her face a mask of anger.

"Robyn, I don't want to end things this way," he started, reaching for her but she stood.

"No!" she yelled, walking over to open the door for his exit. "Leave."

Sighing, Roman rose to his feet. He tried to look at her but she stared up at the ceiling so he covered his head with his hood again and walked out of the door and out of her life.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so late. This was supposed to be out no later than Wednesday. Sorry.**

* * *

"Hello?" Robyn answered her phone Monday afternoon.

"Where are you?" Stephanie asked.

"I'm still in Orlando," Robbie replied.

"Why aren't you in Kansas City?" Steph questioned.

"I wasn't aware that I was booked on Raw…"

"You aren't but you were booked for an appearance at the children's hospital with Joe," she said.

"What?" Robyn fake gasped, pretending to be shocked. "It totally slipped my mind. Stephanie, I am so sorry!"

"Yeah, I'll give you a pass this time but I'm going to email you a copy of your appearance schedule for future reference. Absence will not be tolerated going forward," Stephanie firmly stated.

"Yes ma'am. It'll never happen again," she tried her best to sound apologetic.

She didn't forget about the appearance at all. The truth is, she wasn't ready to face Roman yet, not after what happened. Actually, the painful throbbing in her head let her know that she wasn't ready to face _anything_ at the moment. The memory of him walking out on her was still fresh in her mind. Tomorrow, the inevitable was going to happen backstage at Smackdown and she knew she'd feel a combination of hurt and anger when she saw his face.

There was a bitter feeling inside of her knowing that she didn't get a chance to be with him now with the realization that she'd foolishly fallen in love. In order to get over this, she had to cut him out of her life cold turkey, which was painful. She blocked his number and blocked him on every social media platform. The few things he'd left behind at her condo were thrown into a box in the corner.

* * *

When she arrived at Smackdown the next day, she had a pair of dark sunglasses covering her face and walked directly to the locker room. She didn't stop to speak to anyone, she didn't stop by catering. All of that would bring a risk of running into _him. _

"Got a copy of tonight's card!" Charlotte announced and the others jumped up to see if they were booked while Robbie remained seated.

"What's wrong?" Ember asked.

"N-nothing," Robbie replied, trying to hold her composure.

"Are you sure?" Ember pressed.

"Yes," she focused her eyes forward, staring at the wall.

"You're lying," Sonya said. "Is this about that guy?"

Robbie couldn't hold it back any longer if she tried. A dam burst and flooded as tears poured down her cheeks. She nodded. "Yes."

The women gathered around her, offering consoling words.

She sniffed, knowing that she had to keep up with the narrative that she'd already set. "I thought the next time we talked that I'd be telling you we broke up and that I was moving onto bigger and better things but...he beat me to the punch."

"Is he on this roster because if so, we'll all march over to the men's locker room and get him," Liv said.

"No," Robbie shook her head.

"Who is he?" Peyton asked. "So we can make sure other girls avoid him in the future."

"I can't," she shook her head.

"If you don't want to talk about him, that's fine but just make sure you don't go back to him, whoever he is," Sonya replied.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Mickie went to answer it. She stuck her head out briefly before closing it. "It's Roman here for Robbie. He says it's something about children."

"Oh no," Mandy said, grabbing her makeup compact to dab it under Robbie's eyes. "You don't want to let Joe see you cry. He may mention it later in the lockerroom and it'll get back to the asshole ex. The worst thing you can do is let a man know you've cried over him."

Robbie slowly walked over to the door. She took a deep breath, putting on the best stoic expression she could muster before opening it. Roman was standing there with his head bowed and hands stuffed into his pockets. She cleared her throat. "Joe…"

"Hi, Robyn," a brief smile crossed his lips before fading. "Do you want to walk with me for a second?"

"Not really," she mumbled.

"Rob," he pleaded.

"Fine," she sighed, following him.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I don't think that's your concern anymore…"

"You're right," he acknowledged with a nod. "Why didn't you show up yesterday?"

"It's like I told Stephanie, I forgot," she shrugged.

"We both know that's bullshit. If you pull up your calendar right now you have notifications set up for the next 3 months."

"Okay, I didn't show up. What about it?" she challenged.

"Robyn, I know you're angry but-"

"Who's angry? Married but separated couples get back together everyday," she interjected nonchalantly. This was always a possibility. She knew it from the beginning but somewhere along the line she got too lost in him to realize it.

"The point is, you were doing this for the children, not for me. These hospitals announce our visit in advance. Do you know how many questions I had to answer about your whereabouts? Because of your diagnosis, some of the kids actually thought you were sick again," he replied.

Holy guilt trip. Her expression softened and she relented. "_Thanks_, now I feel horrible."

"Well, you can have your redemption today with another group," he revealed, leading her into the catering area where a group of children were waiting for them.

Most of the children were either in remission or going through their last round of chemo so her job entailed encouraging them, telling her own personal story and chatting with their parents.

As always, when the meet and greet was over, they gathered together for a group picture. Roman's hand settled onto the small of her back, she stiffened and he promptly removed it.

"That went well," he remarked afterwards as she sat down with a cupcake.

"Uh huh," she nodded, not in a talkative mood.

"So now what?"

"I'm going to go back to the locker room and chill out until the show is over," her voice was muffled as she chewed.

"No, I mean, in general…" he clarified.

"What can I do besides move on with my life?"

He sighed. "I didn't want to give you up."

"...but you did," she grumbled.

"I had no other choice," he argued. "I was very much looking forward to starting a new life with you. I hope you know how much you meant to me. How much you _still_ mean to me. Robyn, I-"

Robbie held her frosting stained hand up to silence him. "Unless this ends with you telling me that you've come to your senses and will push through with the divorce, I'm not interested. All you're doing is making me relive this pain all over again."

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I left you like that. I never wanted it to happen," he tried again. "But leaving would've hurt my little girl worse. It's not that I just wanted to abandon them in the first place. Galina and I both checked out on the marriage and there was no point in staying together. Now that we've talked, we have a new understanding and purpose to try to make things work."

"That's great," she replied, emotionless. "Let me give you a tip for the next time you two separate...and there will be a next time. Make sure the divorce papers are signed and finalized before you move on and break the next girl's heart. Okay? Anyway, good luck with that. Meanwhile, I'm going to try to find a man who isn't flaky with all the extra baggage."

He frowned. "I hope you aren't going to begin your search on the roster because none of them deserve you."

"A conflicted married man with 3 kids most certainly doesn't deserve me!" she snapped quietly, aware of the other wrestlers in the area. "Let's make a scene. I'm done. Oh, and happy belated birthday. You won't believe what I had planned for you on that night…and sadly, you never will."


	11. Chapter 11

"And how has the intimacy situation changed since our last session," the marriage counselor questioned.

"It hasn't," Galina answered. "We took your advice about spending more alone time together and bonding exercises but besides kissing, I can't go any further. I hate it because I don't want Joe to feel like I'm rejecting him or make him feel bad because he didn't do anything wrong."

"Joe?" the counselor prompted him.

"I'm willing to wait until she's ready. I knew we weren't going to automatically jump back into things and pretend like it never happened. I know that we need to strike a balance between working toward consummating our marriage again and being aware of the feelings that we're both are going through," he replied.

"Galina, what's your biggest hang up?" the counselor asked.

"His relationship with Robyn," she confessed. "For the last few months he's been all around the world with her. She was clearly crazy about him and the feeling was mutual. _Obviously_, they had their own sex life. Thinking about Joe with another woman freaks me out now that we're back together and I think if I can forget about it, things will get better but I can't do that when a new picture of them together at a children's hospital drops every Monday or Tuesday. It's a great cause so I accept that it's going to continue. Besides, even if they didn't work together on the campaign, they'd still see each other backstage 4 times a week. I'm not even going to pretend like seeing my husband and his ex-girlfriend together doesn't sting."

And the truth comes out. He suspected that this was the issue but was waiting for her to admit it. "Galina, if I'd known that there was even a slight chance of us getting back together, I wouldn't have crossed the line with a coworker knowing that it would create an uncomfortable situation after the fact. I'm sure there's nothing I can say or do that'll change how you feel about us being around each other but let me ask you this, have I ever cheated on you?"

"No," she shook her head.

"And I'm not going to start now. While I understand your concern, you have nothing to worry about," he assured her. He wasn't a cheater and Robyn wanted nothing to do with him so even if he wanted to, he couldn't.

"I think you should try taking a social media break. Seeing them together won't be healthy in the early stages of re-establishing your connection with Joe," the counselor recommended.

"I think you're right," she agreed.

An alarm buzzed and the counselor looked at her watch. "Unless you want an extension, I think our session has concluded."

"Not today," Galina declined. "He goes back on the road for live events tomorrow and needs to be rested."

"I think that went well," Roman slid his hand around Galina's shoulder as they walked through the parking lot. Despite the lack of intimacy, the reconciliation was going well and unlike when they tried to fix things the first time, they were fully committed to it this round. They were generally in a good place and were communicating much better thanks to the sessions.

"Yeah," she leaned into him. "Feels like we're dating all over again. Let's just take things one day at a time until we're back to normal."

"It's the summer so if you and the kids want to come on the road with me, you can," he offered.

"Thanks but I'm not ready for that yet," she replied. He nodded, knowing that she probably wanted to feel secure in their relationship again before facing Robyn.

* * *

Roman stood backstage watching a fatal 4-way championship match on the monitor between the champ, Bayley vs the forgotten ones of Smackdown, Ember, Liv and Robyn. It was a good match and Robbie was the standout. She hasn't been seen on WWE TV since Money in the Bank which was sad because besides Asuka and Kairi, she was the most skilled woman in the division in his opinion. He couldn't even secretly pull strings anymore because thanks to Stephanie, Robbie knew that the authority figures were aware of their relationship.

_Things were still awkward between them during the hospital visit. Stephanie came along for a photo-op which only made the tension worse. Afterwards, Stephanie decided to stop for lunch. Robyn didn't utter one word voluntarily, only speaking when spoken to. The rest of the time she spent playing with her food. _

_Finally, Stephanie sat her fork down and looked between them. "I take it you two have broken up?" _

_Robbie's head snapped up. "What?" _

_Roman wasn't surprised. These days Vince shares everything with Stephanie. He sighed. "It's complicated." _

_Robyn shot green daggers at him. "So Stephanie knows which means Mr. McMahon and Triple H know. Who else knows? What else haven't you told me, Joe?" _

"_And judging by that, I'm guessing it was a bad break up," Stephanie replied. She turned to Rob. "You do realize how important Joe and his reputation is to the company, right?" _

_She scoffed. "If you're trying to ask if I'll expose him, no, I won't. Being his temporary side chick is not something I'm very proud of." _

"_Side chick?" he repeated. "Rob, you know that's not what you were to me." _

"_Oh?" she raised a brow. "Let's see...no one could know, we stayed hidden behind hotel walls and you picked the wife when it came down to it. Sounds like a side chick to me." _

"_I think we're done here and I hope you two can work on moving into a better space with each other but for now, remember that it's all about the kids," Stephanie said. _

"_I know. Trust me, I do," Robbie replied. "If it weren't for them I wouldn't be sitting here right now." _

The match ended with Bayley coming out on top as expected during a throwaway match at a house show. The women made their way backstage and he didn't know if it was out of sexual frustration but his eyes immediately went to the short trunks that Robyn was jerking down to cover her exposed butt.

He quickly ripped his eyes away. Sexualizing Robyn while he was in the process of reconciliation with Galina wasn't going to help anything. Even having made the decision to end the relationship, it was hard to let go even if it was the right thing to do. She stopped to grab a water bottle from one of the coolers backstage and that's when he decided to make his move.

"Great match," he complimented.

"Thanks," she grumbled, not paying much attention to him.

"I left some stuff at your condo. I'll be in Orlando Wednesday to film a commercial at the Performance Center for something WWE is working on and I can stop by and-"

"No!" she interrupted before he finished his sentence. "Everything in that box is replaceable to be honest but if you _must _have it, I can drop it off at the PC because you have no right to stop by my place."

"That'll be fine," he nodded, still lingering there.

"What?! Say something or leave instead of standing there staring like a creep," she hissed.

"Stephanie said we should work on moving into a better space with each other so…" he shrugged.

"Speaking of moving into a better space with each other. I received an email this morning: '_Robyn, you still have items in your cart from a past visit_,' or something like that. I followed the link and it was a home decor site. '_Why was I here?_' confused, I ask myself and that's when I thought about it, '_oh yeah, Joe and I were supposed to be house shopping in Tampa soon and I was getting a head start'_," she chuckled bitterly, pausing to take another swig from her water bottle. "You get to go home to Galina and the kids while I go home to an empty condo wondering what could've been. Yeah, we can possibly move into a better space but I'm going to need time and you can't force it like you've been doing so far."

"I don't know what you want from me, Rob. There are only so many ways I can say I'm sorry."

"Well stop because I don't want your apologies. They don't help and they don't change the situation," she replied. "Everyone knows you're a good guy, Joe, alright? I know you didn't intentionally set out to hurt me but because you're a good guy and did what you _thought _was right, you did. I'm sure you'll regret it though but that's not my problem."

"Why the hell are you so invested in my marriage failing? I'm sure that would give you some sort of satisfaction but Jesus, Robyn, we have kids!" he argued.

"You had kids the first time you decided to separate but okay. I'm sure you and Galina are rediscovering each other. I bet you hired the best therapist in town and you're paying him or her an arm and a leg despite the fact that you two do most of the talking and the advice that he or she gives you is generic and can be accessed on Google for free. I'm guessing Jojo is happy. Things will be swell...for the next two, maybe three months. That's when the both of you will revert back to your old habits but it won't be enough to make you think that the reconciliation attempt was a failure. _No_, that comes later. When you do realize that it's really over, neither of you will acknowledge it because you've wasted too much time, money and effort to admit defeat. Slowly, you'll turn into every other miserable couple grinning and beating it just for the kids. By the way, how's the sex? _If _you're even having it," she taunted, smugly.

Roman blinked as he stared at her, perplexed. How did she know all of this? No, she knew nothing. It was all bullshit she pulled out of her ass, her very nice ass. She did get one major thing right but he'd never let her know it. He cleared his throat. "The sex is...amazing, better than before actually."

He saw the surprise on Robyn's face, her shoulders sagged slightly as her face fell. They stared emotionless at each other until she finally let out a relenting sigh and nodded. "Look, I'm sorry. If you two can work it out, I'll actually be happy because then, sacrificing our relationship wouldn't have been in vain. I know the last time I said this to you, it was sarcastic but sincerely this time: good luck, Joe."


	12. Chapter 12

Robyn noticed that Roman was acting strange and had been for about a week now. Whenever a camera was around during their hospital visits, he avoided her like the plague. The same thing happened Monday morning. Usually, they stood next to each other behind the children. Today, he moved to one end of the children so naturally, she moved to the other, separated by at least 8 little bodies.

"So...what's up with all the space? You weren't this concern with putting distance between us when we were together and I was begging for it," she inquired.

He looked around, making sure no one was in earshot. "I don't want to create any problems at home."

"Wait, she doesn't want us around each other?" Robyn knew that working closely together would be awkward between she and Roman but she never thought about Galina's feelings about it.

"It's like this...she knows that we _have _to be around each other but right now it's kind of a sore subject and I'm trying to do my part to make her feel comfortable," he explained.

"Aww, how sweet of you," she cooed.

"Can't tell if that's you being sarcastic or sincere…"

"A little of both," she winked.

"So what's going on with you?"

"Joe, we've _just _gotten back on speaking terms so if you're trying to ask me if I'm talking to anyone, it's not really your business."

He put his hands up in defense. "It's just a question. The reason I distanced myself from you was none of your business either but I still shared."

"Well, if you must know, I haven't been in contact with anyone since we split," she replied and he looked relieved which induced an eye roll. "But I'm slowly getting over it so don't expect that to last."

"I think I've come to terms with you moving on and we're on the road 300 days a year so there's a strong possibility that it's going to be with a coworker," he sighed. "My only concern is you picking the right guy. Don't forget I'm in the locker room with them. I know how they think and act."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," she said, adjusting her top slightly. It was a casual move done unconsciously but it still caught his attention she noticed. She was now skeptical about the '_amazing, better than before'_ sex that he was allegedly having because if he was really sexually fulfilled he wouldn't be watching her every move like a horny, teenage boy. There was another issue. In the months that they were together, he never spoke on his sex life with Galina. He seemed too respectful for that so the fact that he blurted that out like it was nothing was suspect. If they weren't having sex, she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for him because this is the path he chose.

"When you do get that point, can you drop a name to me before anything happens?" he requested

"What? I think you have me confused with Joelle. Just because I called you daddy a few times does not make you mine," her phone dropped and she bent to pick it up. As she knelt down, she looked over her shoulder and there it was, that look of burning need in his brown eyes.

Clearing his throat, he tried to suppress it. "Let's get out of here and head to the arena."

"Now I wish I'd stayed on Raw. You had me moved to be with you and now look at us. As scarce as the Raw women's division is I'd probably get a title opportunity faster there than on Smackdown. I also find it super strange that I start getting more TV time, won the Mania battle royal and secured a spot in the ladder match while I was dating you and the moment we broke up, I'm back to watching the monitors. Guess you were interfering after all especially now that I know the McMahons were aware…"

"For the last and final time, I had nothing to do with any of that. I'm sure it's because they're trying to figure out what to do with you. From what I understand you don't want your diagnosis used on screen so now you have to develop a character," he shrugged.

"You don't have a character and it's never stopped you from getting TV time," she replied.

"Excuse me?" he stopped in his tracks. "I'm the Big Dog."

"That's a nickname, not a character. I've never seen you bark or pee on a fire hydrant. You did hump my leg a few times in your sleep but that's about it," she teased.

"Okay, I'll let you have that one," he chuckled.

When they arrived at the arena, it became clear that she was receiving more attention than usual from the guys, some whom did a pretty lousy job of hiding the fact that they were checking her out. She had more conversations now in one evening with male superstars than she's had since she moved up to the main roster. What the heck was that about, she wondered.

* * *

Roman felt better now that things were better between he and Rob. On the other hand, it was bittersweet. Acceptance is the last stage of grief and her accepting the reconciliation meant that the book was finally closed on their own relationship.

When he entered the locker room, he heard various conversations taking place.

"...and she had the legs out tonight…"

"Did anyone else get socially awkward vibes from her?"

"Give her a break she just got out of a relationship…"

"Any word on who yet?"

"Ask Joe, he's the one who deals with her the most…"

His head raised. "Who? What are you guys talking about?"

"Robyn."

"Robyn? What about Robyn?" he asked, almost defensively. "Last time her name was brought up most of you thought she was a lesbian."

"Word around the women's locker room is that she was crying over some guy a few weeks ago which confirmed that she does in fact like men. Now it's open season!"

Roman's jaw tensed. He shook his head. "No, we're not going to do that, not with her."

"Why not? We have these conversations all the time and it's never a problem."

"That's not exactly true. We're men so obviously we're going to acknowledge attractive women. When it gets disrespectful, I always ask for it to be dialed back," he clarified. "Robyn is different in many ways than the other women on the roster so you can't pull the same bullshit you pull on them, on her. If she gets sick again tomorrow, show of hands, how many of you are going to be there mentally, physically and emotionally? How many of you are going to sit bedside if she has to be hospitalized? How many of you are going to take her back and forth to appointments? How many of you are going to come out of your pockets if the treatments cost is above her pay grade?"

He looked around the room and not one hand shot up. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Unless any of you are willing to step up to the plate, stay back."

Roman finished his match with a surprise that no one excepted and he didn't know about until minutes before his entrance. The Undertaker.

"The boys were kind of scared when he appeared," Galina laughed through the phone that he held pressed to his ear.

"Yeah, well, they wouldn't have made it back in the 90s or early 2000s when he as well as Kane were legit scary," he replied, stepping off of the elevator on his floor.

"So what are you about to get into?" she asked.

"My bed hopefully," he replied.

"Will you be needed on Smackdown or are you coming home?"

"I'm not sure but between now and early tomorrow morning I'll know."

"Well, whenever you come, I'm _finally _ready…" she announced. "I already told your mom to be on standby to pick up the kids for a few days."

She didn't know how relieved he was to hear that. While cheating wasn't an option, lately he found himself unable to control his sexual emotions and inappropriate thoughts as a result of this dry spell.

"G, that's…" he trailed off when he heard laughing up the hallway and a door open and shut. He found Naomi, Nattie and Robyn likely headed downstairs to the hotel bar. Robyn's backstage apparel changed to a much more provocative dress. Her hips swung with each step as she balanced her frame on her high heels. They maintained eye contact as she walked toward him. A faint smug grin creased the corners of her mouth. She knew she was sexy, she knew the effect she was having on him and was rubbing it in...he never wanted to see a person trip more.

"What up, Joe," Naomi greeted as they passed.

"Who is that?" Galina hissed.

"Just Trin...and Nattie," he turned around to get a look at her from the back. She looked over her shoulder and they locked eyes once again. She shook her head in contempt before going back to her conversation with the others. "Anyway, I can't _wait_ to get home to you."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'm not a doctor, nurse or anything related. I'm just a person with access to Google so if some of the information in the chapter isn't medically accurate...it's fiction.**

* * *

"Hello, Ms. Nelson," Dr. Foster greeted. She could tell that he was annoyed with her because in his mind her frequent visits were a waste of time. "Are you ready to begin."

"Of course," Robbie nodded. She was taken through the usual examinations and was waiting for the results. Dr. Foster entered and sat behind his computer without speaking a word. This worried her because he'd usually dismissively set her next appointment and send her on her way.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. He didn't answer as he rolled his chair over to turn the light off. Then with a remote control he turns on a projector. It shined a bright white square on the wall in front of her. He presses a button and her MRI body scan appeared. "W-what am I looking at?"

"We found something…" he began and her heart dropped.

Robbie took a terrified, shuddering breath and turned to face him. "I knew it...I knew it! How much time do I have left?"

"It's not what you think," he said, grabbing a laser pointer. He moved it to her hip area. "This is the nucleus, or cell of a tumor. Don't worry, it's benign for now but when it decides to grow whether it be tomorrow, next week or next year, it could be fatal."

This information did nothing to calm her down. "Is it related to my cancer at all?"

"No, all cancers come from tumors but not all tumors are cancerous or have the potential to become cancerous," he explained. "Also, I want to apologize for being nonchalant about your concerns these last few months. I'd like to continue seeing you as often as I am now just to keep an eye on you."

"So what do we do about this?"

"We can schedule a date to operate," Dr. Foster replied.

"Schedule a date? You just said this thing could grow tomorrow and be fatal! No, I want it out of me today!" she said, forcefully.

"I understand but I have two more appointments after you and three surgeries scheduled for this afternoon. My next opening won't be until next Tuesday and I understand you'll be on the road with WWE that day so unless you take off that day, I'll be open to perform the surgery Wednesday."

She shook her head, not wanting to accept that answer. "Orlando is huge. I'm sure you can make a call to one of your fellow oncologist buddies around the city and get me in with them."

He sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

An hour later, she was going nuts at the hospital as she was prepped for surgery. What if Dr. Foster read the scan wrong and it was cancerous? What if opening her up caused the tumor to spread? That would change the odds tremendously and not in her favor. A nurse injected something into her IV.

"Wait, what is that?"

"It's the happy med, a light sedative to relax you before we take you into the operating room. It'll probably put you to sleep," she informed.

"Hey, can I have my phone? It's with the rest of my stuff. I need to make a call before this stuff hits and knocks me out. I can feel myself drifting already."

* * *

"I haven't seen this one yet," Galina said, showing Roman a picture of them on the Hobbs and Shaw red carpet.

"You looked absolutely beautiful that night," he complimented. They'd fixed their intimacy issues and were back on track to a healthy marriage. The reconciliation was complete. He didn't struggle with his feelings for Robyn as much and he didn't think about her as much anymore. He was being intentional about focusing most of his attention on his wife, kids and work instead of constantly peaking over the fence at Robyn to see how green the grass is on the other side.

His phone was on the charger beside Galina when it rang. She leaned over to look at the screen. "It's Robyn. I didn't know she still contacted you on your off days."

"She doesn't…" Roman replied. He thought about ignoring it but then he remembered that she barely contacted him at home when they were together so for her to do it now left him curious. He answered. "Hello?"

"Oh hi!" she yawned, sounding sleepy yet upbeat.

"Are you okay?"

"No...I'm about to go into surgery…"

"Surgery?!" he exclaimed, causing Galina's head to snap up.

"Yeah, they found a cell that promotes tumor growth," she said, like it was no big deal.

Roman's entire body froze, as did his voice which struggled to find any kind of power behind it. His mouth opened, but his voice still didn't sound. When it finally did, it was a whisper that could only be heard because of the quietness of the room. "Is it malignant?"

"No, it's benign but they still have to remove it before it grows and becomes malignant. Anyway, I wasn't going to tell anyone but I thought you should know just in case because I don't know this doctor and how he operates so if I don't call you in a few hours, I'm probably dead. Please don't contact WWE about this...unless of course I'm dead," she chuckled.

"Robyn, there's some shit you don't joke about and this is one of them," he admonished. "Where are you?"

"I'm sorry, it's the stuff they gave me. Oh, and I'm coming to you live from a hospital bed…"

"That's not what I meant when I asked where you were and you know that! Are you alone?"

"Yes. Joe, if I die…"

"Stop talking about dying and give me your location!"

"Can I finish, please? I was saying if I die, I want you to know that I love you, okay? Bye..."

"Robyn? Rob?" he heard her breathing on the other end of the line so the medicine must've kicked in.

"Surgery? What's going on?" Galina asked.

Roman pinched the bridge of his nose. "Robyn is getting ready to go into surgery to remove a tumorous cell."

"Oh my god, is it serious? Well, of course it is but is it life threateningly serious?"

"No, but the fact that it could've been is getting to me," he confessed.

"What are you waiting for then?" she said, giving him the green light to go.

"I'm definitely going but I have no information on her hospital location so unless I go from medical center to medical center looking..." he trailed off before it hit him. "Shit, her oncologist tried to solicit me into becoming his patient that time I accompanied her. He gave me his card. I don't recall throwing it away so it should be around here somewhere but it was months ago so who knows where it is right now."

"The drive is an hour and a half so how about you get on the road and while you're on the way, I'll look around the guest room where you were sleeping at the time to see if I can find anything. If I do, I'll call the office and try to figure out which hospital she was sent to," Galina said. He looked at her in disbelief so she nodded to confirm that this was real and that she actually said it. "You know I'm not exactly comfortable with the history that you two share but I'm not insecure enough to keep you here while she goes through that alone. Your support of patients extends beyond just children."

"Thank you so much," he hugged her. "I love you so much, probably more than ever right now."

"I love you too. Now go. I'll tell the kids that you had to run a work related errand which is technically true."

With the engine roaring, tires screaming and burning rubber Roman backed out of his driveway. From the sound of it, she was going to be okay but what if? He banged his fists on the steering wheel. If she didn't decide to call him and something happened to her, he would've never forgiven himself for the way he left things. When he was 20 minutes away from Orlando, he received a call from Galina.

"Do you find it?"

"Yep, found it, called it, and I'm getting ready to text you the address to the hospital."

Roman walked into the waiting room and approached the woman at the desk who ogled him. "I'm here for Robyn Nelson. Is she out of surgery, yet?"

"I'll check," she picked up the phone and had a conversation with a nurse. "No, not yet."

He sat around and paced for another hour, wondering what the hold up was. Then, he started thinking the worst, were there complications? Did they find more tumors inside? He was hungry but afraid to leave the area in case there were any developments.

A doctor wearing a surgical cap, gown and mask approached the nurse's station. One of the women pointed to Roman and waved him over.

Roman's feet felt like cement bricks as he tried to lift them. Apparently he wasn't moving fast enough so the doctor approached him.

He pulled down his surgical mask when they were face to face. "Roman Reigns?"

"Joe," he corrected.

"I assume you're here to support your coworker."

Roman wanted to roll his eyes. No, he stalked around waiting rooms on the regular. "Yes."

"Robyn's surgery went well. She's still out. We're going to monitor her for about an hour and then she can be taken home."

Roman's stiff shoulders dropped and he exhaled, seeming visibly relaxed. "Can I see her?"

"Sure, follow me," the surgeon showed Roman to a room where a nurse sat bedside. "Let's give them some privacy."

Roman stood over Robyn. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, her chest rose and fell rhythmically. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Potentially losing her made him realize something. "I love you too, Rob. Don't ever scare me like this again."

He didn't think it was possible to love two women at once but here he was. Of course he loved them both in different ways. Life with Galina was quiet, good. Peaceful, that is the word. Life with Robyn was exciting, new, bonding, crazy sex. Two different women, two different experiences. Feelings were one thing, acting on them were another and he's moved on from that. To avoid things becoming more complicated than they already were, he'd never repeat those three words when she woke.

The doctor knocked, pulling him from his thoughts. "You can pull your car around to take her out. She's going to be groggy when she first wakes up and will probably be in and out of sleep for the rest of the evening."

"Can she eat? Will she be able to walk?"

"Yes, she can eat. She'll also be able to walk but since the operation was on her hip area, she'll be in pain and will probably need the assistance of a crutch for the next few days. I'm going to give you a prescription for her pain meds before you leave."

* * *

Robyn's eyes blinked open as she stared at her own ceiling. She knew she had surgery but she wondered how she got back home. With a groan, she sat up. The anesthesia hadn't completely worn off so she felt foggy. Her house was quiet and she was alone.

The front door open and she heard footsteps, followed by Roman's voice. "I'm just getting back from the pharmacy to get her prescriptions filled. She was out cold when I left. No one is here with her so if you're okay with it, I'm going to spend the night. Alright, thank you for understanding, babe. I love you."

"Joe?" Robyn weakly called out.

He quickly appeared at the door. "Good, you're awake."

"What are you doing here? How did you find the hospital?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? You called me distressed. Did you think I wasn't going to show up?" he asked. "And Galina helped me find you."

"Wow, that was nice of her."

"Are you okay? Can I get you anything? Are you in any pain?"

"I'm fine and no, at least not right now," she shook her head.

"Are you even happy to see me?"

"Of course, I am."

"I can't tell. Your voice is monotonous and your expression is blank," he pointed out.

"Joe, I'm not in any position to jump out of bed and do backflips at the sight of you right now."

"I don't want that but I feel like ever since we broke up you've been closed off and distant. Then you said that you loved me earlier and then you act like this so I'm getting mixed signals."

"I knew you would bring that up," she grabbed a pillow and pressed it over her face. "Do you know how high I was when I said that?"

"Sure, you were high but did you mean it?"

"Joe, you're a _married_, married man again so why does it matter?"

"I guess you're right. I don't want to upset you," he sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You were in surgery for a little over 2 hours and have been sleeping for 2 more. I know you're hungry."

As if on cue her stomach growled. "Lucky guess."

"Do you want me to bring it in here?"

"No, I've been in laying down for too long," she threw the blanket off of her and stood. She was still wearing the hospital gown. Raising it, she saw the bandaged scar. Roman fixed a crutch under her arm to take the weight off. "I feel like this is supposed to hurt but I'm too drugged up to feel anything."

"Give it a while, you will..."

"I know I was kind of mean a little while ago but I do appreciate you for coming here _and_ bringing me food," she said, sitting down at the table.

"It was nothing," he waved it off. "So what are you going to do about work? You can't go from the operating table to the ring in a matter of days."

"About that…" she grabbed her phone.

"Hello?" Stephanie answered.

"Hey, Steph. It's Robyn. I was wondering if I could have the weekend and next week off?"

"What's going on?"

"I had to visit the doctor today."

Steph's voice rose in shock. "Related to your diagnosis?"

"No. I've been experiencing complications with my IUD for weeks now: back pain that was consistent, heavy flow, headaches. I had to get it removed."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but it was recommended that I avoid in-ring action for the week."

"You can take whatever time you need and don't rush it. The ring will be here when you're ready."

"Thanks Steph," Robyn replied before ending the call.

"Why did you lie?" Roman asked.

"Because I'm not you. Your leukemia came back and you returned to your spot. I'm replaceable so if they knew that I had a scare, they'll never push me because I'll be seen as a risk," she reasoned. "They're not going to put the title on someone who could get sick again at any given moment."

"That couldn't be farther from the truth," he replied.

"Maybe, maybe not but I don't want to find out," she said, noticing him looking around the living room, smiling. "What?"

"_Memories_. Anyway, I can't imagine your reaction to the news. You were paranoid enough in general already," he chuckled.

"I was so scared. From the time he walked into the room until the time he told me something was wrong was probably less than 3 minutes but it felt like an eternity. I thought, '_this is it'_ and was already thinking about making funeral arrangements," she laughed, adjusting in her seat which caused her to hiss. "Didn't I hear you tell Galina that you picked up a prescription for me?"

"Yeah, the pills" he nodded.

"I think I'm going to need one," another sharp pain hit her. "Maybe two."

As he was walking back from the room, the doorbell rang. They looked at each other in question. She knew she was not expecting any company. He put a finger to his mouth, signaling quiet and they ignored it.

"We hear your footsteps!" a female voice yelled on the other side.

"Shit!" he cursed under his breath, going over to look through the peephole. "Oh!"

When he opened the door, Mandy and Sonya were waiting with balloons, flowers, a teddy bear and an overnight bag.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked, genuinely curious, not having contacted anyone besides Stephanie a few minutes ago. "How did you find out?"

"I felt a pain in my sides a little while ago so I told Daria to take me to the hospital. A janitor approached us and said that it must be WWE day at the hospital because we the fourth to pop up today," Mandy explained. "We asked who the other two were and he said you came first and then Roman Reigns showed up. He didn't go into details, not that he'd know anyway but we could read between the lines if Joe was there. Are you...okay?"

"Yes," she replied, not going into further detail about her procedure. "It's not cancer related by the way. You didn't mention this to anyone, did you? I'm trying to keep it under wraps."

"No, after stopping by the gift shop and our place, we came right over," Mandy replied.

"Plus we wouldn't take your moment away. If something major was wrong, it's your story, your business and your right to tell it," Sonya added, glancing off to the side. "Just like Joe."

"Well now that that's settled. I can't believe you guys came! Thank you so much!" Robyn smiled.

Roman handed her two pills and a glass of water. "It looks like they have you covered so I'm going to head home."

"Thanks for coming," Robyn replied.

"Anytime," he nodded, pausing at the door to look at her before disappearing.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks everyone who participated. Some of the suggestions were awesome but majority rules and satisfied to get a chance to work with the winner  
**

* * *

"I am not going to kill myself messing around with you. I can do a moonsault, a shooting star and a few little flashy moves here and there but that's as far as it goes," Robyn shook her head at Ricochet in the ring ahead of the pay per view later that night. When she arrived at the arena earlier, he approached her about a move that she did during her tag match the night before during the live event. He claimed that her form was off and the way she executed it would be hell on her knees in the long run. He showed her how to properly pull it off which then led to him trying to tweak her entire moveset.

"You have to step outside of the box a little," he replied. "If something goes wrong you can blame it all on me. I got you."

"Oh yeah?" she quirked a brow. "Blaming it all on you won't pay my medical expenses or give me a new career if the damage is permanent."

"I don't know about a new career but I'd pay your medical expenses and make sure you tell your boy Joe that."

Robyn froze. What did he know? She cleared her throat. "W-what do you mean by that?"

"A while back some of the guys were talking about you in the locker room, Joe overheard and flipped out going on a rant about how if we weren't willing to step up to the plate if worse comes to worst, stay back," he revealed.

"No he did _not_," she stared at him in utter. disbelief. What gave him the right to speak on her situation to the guys in order to manipulate her love life while resuming his.

"He did," Ricochet confirmed. "I know you two work closely together so he was probably just looking out for you like a big bro."

"Yeah, big bro," she muttered before changing the subject. "Anyway, can you show me that new move you wanted me to try?"

The things that Ricochet was able to do with his body were amazing. He showed her a move that she imagined you'd only see at Cirque du Soleil or an Olympic gymnastic competition. He showed it to me twice before stopping. "Did you get that?"

"Probably not but here goes nothing…" she ran over to the rope opposite of them before bouncing off to backflip and twist her way back over to where they originally stood. The plan was to flip over the rope and onto the floor but she stumbled on the last flip. She felt herself getting ready fall to the mat until two strong arms caught her.

Ricochet gently sat her down on his thigh. "I told you, I got you."

"I see…" she laughed it off as they stared at each other. Ricochet was handsome, no doubt and an overall great guy. He was shorter than she usually liked, 5'9 to her 5'8 but he more than made up for it with his rock hard body. "I…" she trailed off when she saw Roman watching them ringside as he half-listened to his opponent, Erik Rowan. They made brief, awkward eye contact and she felt herself unconsciously slide off of Ricochet. "I…I'm going to get back to the locker room and let people who actually have a match tonight have the ring. Thanks for the tutorial today though."

"Don't be a stranger..." Ricochet said, meeting her eyes and holding her gaze. "I'm not going to rest until you get that move right."

Clash of Champions was great for the most part. Now it was time to pack and leave. In the parking garage of the arena, a lot of talent discussed going to a local bar. She didn't really feel like going out but if wrestlers who'd just finished having matches could find the energy to go, so could she.

* * *

**robwwe: **What a show! Now it's time for the after.

"Don't look but why has Ricochet been staring over here for the last hour?" Sonya asked standing near the bar. Robyn barely turned her head but even then she could see that Sonya was correct.

"I noticed it, too," Mandy said. "He didn't start until Robbie walked up so make of that what you will."

"We're literally in his line of vision. He has no other choice _but_ to look over here," Robyn brushed it off just as a finger tapped her on the shoulder. To her confusion, one of the servers handed her a drink. "I didn't order anything."

"From the gentleman across the way…" the girl said and when Robyn looked up, she saw Ricochet raise his glass.

"Told you…" Mandy mumbled. "Now what are you going to do about it?"

"What's going on?" Sasha stopped when she overheard in passing.

"Apparently Ricochet likes Robbie and the way she's trying to hide that smirk, the feeling is mutual," Sonya informed.

"But what about you and…_you know who_?" Sasha, the only one who knew her secret, inquired.

"You have missed a lot," Robbie snorted. "Welcome back."

"What happened?"

"He was still stuck in _the past_...if you know what I mean."

"I'm not even surprised," Sasha shook her head and Rob nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it sucks but what can I do," she shrugged.

"How about walking over there and thanking Ricochet. Look at him, think about his athleticism...and imagine the sex," Sasha nudged her forward.

Robyn hesitated but he'd seen the whole thing so there was no point in turning around. With a sigh, she made her way over. "Hey, I appreciate the drink but in the interest of full disclosure, I feel the need to tell you that I'm not looking for a man."

"Damn, so I guess the rumors were true," his shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"What? Oh..._that_! No, let's leave the lesbian allegations in the past," she laughed.

"So, if you're not looking for a man...or woman. What _are _you looking for?" he asked.

"Hmm, I'm not sure…" she replied with a smile before her lips wrapped around the straw sticking out of her glass. His gaze keenly snapped between her mouth as she sucked to her eyes. There was an attraction there and she knew it but she didn't want to think about it and definitely didn't want to act on it. She wasn't ready for another relationship and it would be unfair to him to pretend like she is.

Ricochet lowered his voice and leaned into her. "Well, I can help you find it."

"Okay, but before you do that, let's back up for a second. You and I left NXT at the same time and if my memory serves me correct, you had something going on with Kacy…"

"Not anymore. We're over for now," he said.

"_For now_?"

"She...we, it's complicated but I'm ready to move on," he stammered.

_Complicated_ was almost like a trigger word and her entire body tensed. "Look, I've been through that before and I'm sorry but I'm not interested in trying my luck with another flip flopping man. Once again, thanks for the drink and goodnight."

* * *

"This one is so cute," Robyn smiled, reading cards that the children at the hospital made for her.

They'd been driven there by a WWE hired chauffeur and were on their way back to the hotel when they pulled into a gas station. The driver got out of the all black SUV to pump. He poked his head back into the door when he finished. "I just received an important phone call and I have to take it. It'll only be a few minutes."

"Sure, take all the time you need," Roman said and the door closed, leaving them alone. "That was a really good visit."

"As always," she agreed.

"So you...and Ricochet…"

"is…."

"...none of my business," he acknowledged. "But seriously, you were damn near sitting in his lap in the ring yesterday and then I overheard the bar talk last night where he confirmed that he was going. Then, I saw that picture you posted last night so I know that's where you were headed."

"We were in the ring doing this thing called training. As far as the bar, I can't control who shows up," she shrugged. "That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. And thanks for letting me know that you stalk my Instagram..."

"So you mean to tell me he didn't try anything?"

"And if he did?" she didn't forget about his alleged intimidation speech to the locker room. She was getting ready to confront him when his FaceTime tone went off. She saw Galina's name flash across the screen and went into panic mode. They were both on the backseat. He was on the left by the window. She wasn't directly next to him but there wasn't much space between them. Quickly, she scooted over to the door on her side to make sure she was out of sight and out of mind.

He answered. "Morning, baby. I bet it's quiet there without the boys."

"Yeah, I don't even know what to do with myself now," Galina replied. "What are you up to?"

"Just coming back from the children's hospital."

"Oh, really? How was it?"

"Great, very touching. They spent all weekend making cards, writing notes and drawing pictures in anticipation of our arrival," he said.

"Where's Robyn?"

His turned to her. "She's right over there."

"Hey Robbie," Galina's voice spoke.

She refused to move. "Uhm, hi…"

"The last time I heard from you, you were in the hospital but now that you're back on the road, I'm guessing you're better now?"

Roman jerked his head to get her to come over but Robyn refused to move anywhere near him so he passed the phone to her. This was the first time they'd laid eyes on each other since their reconciliation. There was still some lingering saltiness on Robyn's end because she was staring at the woman who took her boyfriend but did she really have a leg to stand on with a wife reclaiming her own husband and the father of her children?

"I'm doing great. It was scary at the time but I got through it. Oh, and thank you for allowing Joe to come that day. I don't think a lot of women would've done that."

"You got that right," Galina agreed. "But I couldn't imagine Joe going through what he went through alone so I wouldn't let '_the situation' _get in the way of helping someone in need."

An awkward silence fell between them as they both realized what a painfully uncomfortable moment this was. Robyn decided to end the torture. "So...how's the family and everything."

"Jojo is great, the boys have started preschool and so far they like it. Joe and I are back on track and doing better than ever…" she paused, catching herself mid-gush. "Oh, sorry."

"No, it's okay…"

"What about you? Are you dating or anything?"

"Yes," she said, quickly.

"Who, if you don't remind me asking?"

"Trevor!" she blurted and Roman shifted in his seat. "You know, _Ricochet._"

"Oh, he's cute. I can see it," she nodded. "How long have you two been together?"

"Just a few weeks, it's still new."

"Well, good luck with that and everything. Can you pass me back to Joe?"

"Sure," Robyn forced a smile before sliding the phone over to him.

"What are you about to get into?" Roman asked.

"It's around 10 so I'm probably going to wash a few loads of clothes, do some other work around the house and stop by the nail shop because I broke one last night messing around with the boys. By then it should be nearing 3 and I can swing by the schools to pick up the kids."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied.

"Alright, I'll call you and the kids after the show," he added before hanging up and turning to Rob. "So, you and Ricochet…_that's it. Nothing more, nothing less_."

"Would you prefer me to have told her the truth which is I'm single? That would only make her paranoid especially when I went on to explain that I'm single because her husband tried to scare off any contenders…" she said and his eyes widened. "_Yes_, I know. Joe, you do not dictate who can and can't approach me. You are in no position to even have a thought about my dating life when you literally just got off the phone with you _wife_."

"Listen, I was out of line and I shouldn't have done that but I really did have your best interest at heart. It was selfish and at the time I let my personal feelings get in the way," he apologized.

"You always say the right things, Joe and pretend to understand every time we have this conversation about me moving on. Give it another week or so and we'll be having it again. I'm tired," she heard the driver wrapping up his conversation so she did the same. "And one more thing, if your marriage was really better than ever like Mrs. Anoaʻi claims, you wouldn't care what I do, who I do it with and you wouldn't be keeping tabs on me via social media! Now, if you're really serious about staying in your marriage, you need to get your shit together or else, you need to do the right thing and leave!"

"The right thing for who, Rob?" he questioned.

"I'm sure you know the answer to that and hint, it's not just for my benefit…"

"Alright, let's get back on the road," the driver said, opening the door.

* * *

**A/N: **I just received a PM from someone claiming that they were unable to review this chapter and that the error said that they already did.

*facepalm* I messed up. I decided to delete the previous Chapter 14 (which was just an Author's Note) so it wouldn't throw off my chapter count. Then I uploaded this one which is now Chapter 14 which means those of you who commented last time under your account won't be able to review this chapter unless you log out. Sorry about that...


	15. Chapter 15

**robwwe: **Time for a change. New look, new me, new era. Stay tuned.

**kingricochet**: With Sasha going blue, I'm pretty sure every color on the wheel is taken.

**robwwe: **Lol, yep, which is why the style is changing, not the color.

**kingricochet**: I want to see it when you're done.

**robwwe**: You will next week.

**kingricochet**: I want a preview.

**robwwe: ?**

**kingricochet**: Check your DM.

When Ricochet asked her out on a date that night, she was hesitant at first and even tried to make excuses about it being too short notice. Then she remembered how much she ranted to Joe about her moving on despite not acting on it. She had to get it through her head that he wasn't coming back, that she needed to forget about him and move on like he was never there. Plus she'd already used him as a fake boyfriend to Galina, might as well give him a chance to earn the title.

He wanted to pick her up but she preferred to meet him. The GPS told her that she'd reached her destination on the address he'd sent. She'd heard about the restaurant and the reviews were great.

**Rob: Here. **

**Trevor: Is that you who just pulled up in the white car? If so, I'm over here in the black vehicle a few cars down. **

They stepped out at the same time and paused when they saw each other. She was wearing a red outfit and he wore a pair of black jeans, a white, collared button down shirt with a red blazer over it and topped it off with a black hat. One thing was certain, he could outdress Roman. Roman would've showed up in a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.

"I'm going to invest in some new curtains because from the look of it, you've been peeking through my window," she joked. "If someone saw us right now, they'd swear this was planned."

"But damn, we look good. This is an Instagram moment if I've ever seen one," he said pulling out his phone. Another difference between Roman and Ricochet. Despite them both being in _complicated_ situations, he was willing to post and didn't care about anyone seeing it so for that along this was already going better than her situation with Joe.

**kingricochet**: Dripping red with this beauty tonight.

Liked by **sashabankswwe **and **75,908 others. **

"Okay but what do you think about the hair," she swung the long, fake dreads over her shoulder.

"I was so distracted by everything else I didn't notice," he commented. "I love it. It gives you a very bohemian vibe."

"Yeah, that's what I was going for. Literally everyone on the roster has straight hair or beach waves. I'm trying to set myself apart," she replied. "I think I'll keep them in for a month, maybe longer depending on how it's received by management and the fans. Anyway, I'm hungry."

"Well, let's eat," he hooked his arm out for her to take.

What ensued was an hour of general conversation and laughter. Ricochet snuck some subtle flirting and teasing in there that she pretended not to notice. He excused himself to go to the bathroom which gave her time to scroll through Twitter and IG.

She looked up when he returned. "So according to fans, Kacy just unfollowed me but I don't recall her ever following me in the first place so I think they're just being messy and trying to start something."

"Next they'll claim you liked a negative comment about her but when asked to show proof, they'll say you unliked it because it started getting attention," he chuckled.

"Yep…" she nodded in agreement. "So since we're on the subject, what happened?"

"Kacy is new to the business and trying to learn which is stressful enough. Then there was me being away all the time and I don't know, we just lost it," he explained.

"Yeah, that's understandable..."

"Now that you've gotten in my business, let me get in yours. What happened with this other complicated guy?"

"I guess you could say he was more or less my boyfriend. He'd just gotten out of a long-term relationship. They split. He said he was ready to move on and she seemed to be okay with it. Then he had to make a choice, he chose her and they were forced back together," she shrugged.

"Forced? So he didn't want to go back?" Ricochet inquired.

She sighed, trying to figure out a way to explain it all without giving too much away. "He was reluctant and she did what she had to do to keep everyone happy. They still love each other apparently so maybe it'll work, maybe not. Who knows."

"_Apparently_ and _maybe_ are two words that should not be said when describing someone's love for each other. That's a sign right there that it's probably not going to work out in the end."

"_Exactly_, but he doesn't want to hear it!"

"Good, because if he did listen, we wouldn't be sitting here right now," he replied. "Let's change the subject. I know I mentioned earlier tonight that I had a son and with me being on the road as much as I am, I try to spend most of my free time with him. That's why I'm hoping that we get drafted to the same brand next month so we can have more time to get to know each other on the road where it's more convenient."

"I'd like that but unfortunately wherever Joe goes, I go..."

"Oh yeah, you two are pediatric cancer ambassadors. You know, you couldn't be paired with a better guy. I saw how emotional he got and how much it meant to him to be able to bring those kids out on stage the other week at MSG. He legit cares and I guess it helps that he's a great father…"

"You got that right. He'd do _anything_ for his kids, especially Jojo," Robyn muttered. There was slight bitterness in her tone but it went undetected. She wasn't mad at Jojo, after all she was just an 11 year old. Unless the household was dysfunctional, most children of divorce want their parents back together.

"You ready to get out of here?" he asked, she nodded and he signaled the waitress for the check.

"I can't remember where I parked now," she said before clicking her remote which made her car light up. He followed her, walking her to the driver's door. She turned to face him. "So, I had a great time tonight."

"Yeah?" he asked, slowly leaning in.

"Yeah," confirming it, she met him halfway. At first, it was nothing more than a standard first date kiss, full of promise and hopes. Then, it turned into a series of soft, sensuous pecks to determine each other's desires. Each kiss lasted a little longer than the previous kiss. Each new kiss probed a little deeper.

Soon, he had her leaned back against her car, basically humping her leg. He pulled back. "Come home with me."

"Slow down! What kind of girl do you take me for?" she wasn't offended that he wanted her but really, on the first date. "I bet you didn't ask little, cute Kacy to come home with you this quick."

"Sorry, got a little carried away," he apologized, taking a step back.

"It's okay," she smiled. "Look, neither of us are virgins and we're both adults. If we have a couple more dates that go as smooth as this one, you won't even have to ask because I'll volunteer."

* * *

"Would you look at this shit," Roman mumbled under his breath as he browsed Instagram. He told himself that he wasn't going to spy on Robyn anymore but he found himself on her page. She didn't post anything but when he viewed her story, he saw that she'd shared a picture that Ricochet posted of them out on a date. He hated everything from Ricochet's shit eating grin down to the matching outfits.

This made it official: she's moved on and he had to accept it. Seeing this made him feel that for the first time since they split that she was actually gone. Who knew short and bald Ricochet was her type? He knew there was nothing wrong with the way Ricochet looked but the bitterness that he felt highlighted those features.

"I'm back!" Galina announced and he jumped, quickly swiping out of IG. She noticed, raising a brow. "Porn?"

He'd actually prefer her to think that over what he was really looking at. "Nah, I just wasn't expecting you back so soon, especially after the boys straight up told us that they weren't going to sleep tonight."

"The thing about that is, they take cues from each other. I knew all I had to do is get one to sleep and the other would follow. Simple," she replied, climbing into bed. He felt her hand slide under the sheets to rub his knee which was her way of initiating sex but he wasn't in the mood.

"Uh...I'm kind of tired tonight," he said.


	16. Chapter 16

**Trevor: Just saw you on TV...**

**Rob: ...literally "just saw" because I don't think I got a single word in. I could be home right now resting up for tomorrow. **

**Trevor: They probably figured you and Joe make a good team so they sent you along as representation of the women's division to help him promote the premiere on FOX. **

**Rob: Maybe. **

**Trevor: Though, he could've done a better job at including you in the interview but I'm sure he wasn't thinking. **

Unfortunately, she knew that Roman knew exactly what he was doing. For the last two weeks he'd barely said two words to her which made their hospital visits uncomfortable. Even when she'd ask him a question, a simple "yes," "no" or "I don't know" would be his only answer. When she said or asked something that required more, it would be a short, dry and generic reply. It got under her skin but she tried to keep it cool. She didn't need his attention...but why did it bother her so much if that was the case.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Joe?" she confronted him on the elevator ride up to their rooms.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he calmly replied which is pretty much what she was expecting, a denial.

"You don't talk to me, you barely acknowledge me even in front of the children. Why are you acting like this?"

"You basically told me to leave you alone in the car that day so you got your wish," he shrugged as the elevator dinged for their floor. He stepped off and she followed him.

"No, I told you to stay out of my _love life_. Outside of that, there has never been a problem getting along," she said from behind as he waved his key card over the sensor. He opened the door and she pushed her way inside. "I think I know what's _really _going on."

"Which is what?" he questioned, kicking his shoes off.

"Me, Trevor and our dates..."

"I don't know nothing about you, _Trevor _or a date," he mumbled.

"You barely use your Instagram besides posting a promotional pic so I'm not sure if you know this but when someone views a story...we can see it. Every single day I see you creeping," she said and he knew he was caught. "I started to block you especially after the way you've been acting but I knew what you were looking for and I gave it to you, posting me and him way more than necessary. It's to the point now where fans assume I'm being extra to throw the relationship in Kacy's face when she's not the target at all."

Chuckling, he sat down on the bed. "Alright, you caught me."

"There we go. Don't you feel better now that you got that off your chest," it was nice to see him smile after he sulked for two weeks straight.

"So, how's it going...with him?"

"We're just feeling each other out right now but so far, so good. We were actually out yesterday evening...but you already knew that," she snorted.

"What about last night?" he raised a brow.

"If you're trying to lowkey ask if we slept together, no, not yet. You'd be able to tell if we did. I'm sure I'd be in a much better mood than this," she plopped down on the bed next to him. "Now that we're back on speaking terms, how are you?"

"I've been better," he answered. "I like the new hair."

"How long have you been holding that in?"

"From the moment I saw that first date night picture...so two weeks."

She laughed. "Well, thank you."

"So you like this guy?"

"Yeah, he's hot, nice and has been respectful thus far. Honestly, looking at the current roster, I could've done a lot worse. _Oh_, and he's not married so that's a plus," she added.

"Ouch," he replied.

"Yeah, the truth tends to hurt," she shrugged.

"You ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep, and speaking of tomorrow, the draft is coming soon but I'm sort of bound to you. Ric and I need this more because he wants to be able to spend time with me on the road and time with his son at home which I'm sure is something you can understand being a father yourself," she said, trying to tug at his heartstrings. "So that being said, can you maybe speak to management about separating us so we can work independently?"

"Okay, I can do that but what's going to happen if he's drafted to my brand while you're sent to the other alone? _Joe, can you talk to management again to get me moved back_," he mocked.

"Yeah, that's true…" she admitted with a sigh. "I guess I'll just have to let the chips fall where they may."

"If a man really wants to see you, he'll make time regardless. I did for 3 long days," he reminded.

Robyn dropped eye contact and blushed thinking about what went on during those 72 hours. "And you got in trouble for it, so that's not a good example to use, Joe. By the way, how are things at home?"

"Galina already told you."

"I know what _she _told me but I want to hear things from _your_ point of view," she emphasized.

"Our point of view is the same…"

"Joe…" she tilted her head.

"What do you want me to say, Rob? That this was all a mistake, that I miss you, that I shouldn't have gone back in the first place?"

"If that's the truth…"

"And then what? Look, I'm getting sick and tired of you taunting me and trying to make me feel like shit over a done deal!" he yelled, clearly frustrated, standing to his feet. "You've made it abundantly clear how you feel about my decision but I did what was best for me and my family!"

"It's not my intention to make you feel that way and sorry if that's how it came across," she apologized.

"_Bullshit_! Just a few minutes ago you admitted to trying to throw your relationship in my face with the IG stories so I don't put trying to torture me about my own relationship past you at all!" he argued.

"Nobody forced you to look so how am I throwing something in your face that you _willingly_ view? Sounds to me like you're doing that to yourself. I'm just going to go before this turns ugly, well, uglier. See you at the arena tomorrow," suddenly very uncomfortable, she stood to leave, but he moved in front of her, blocking her escape. They were standing very close...too close. Rob could feel the warmth radiating from his form, could smell his cologne. She was afraid to look up into those brown eyes, afraid of what she might see...afraid of what her own face would reveal.

"I have to tell you something. Robyn, I…no, I can't," he trailed off, shaking his head.

"You can't what?" she watched in silence as he reached out and softly, tenderly, stroked her cheek. She heard a sigh, not sure if it came from her or him. The touch of his lips on hers made goosebumps rise on her flesh. She tried to speak but couldn't form the words. She took a deep breath. This could _not_ be happening. Not here, not now, not ever, especially with that ring on his finger. "Joe, what are you doing? Stop! It's wrong."

"I know…" he acknowledged but it didn't stop him from burrowing his face into her neck, kissing it. Her body was betraying her, consumed by a familiar heat, an almost physical ache.

They didn't bother taking off their clothes. He just lifted up her dress and slid her panties down around her ankles for her to kick off and simply unzipped his jeans. There was no time for foreplay, no time for slow, lingering touches and Robyn didn't need any of that anyhow because both were primed and ready. The pressure, the fullness of him was incomprehensible and missed. They never broke eye contact and she never made any sounds but her pussy continuously got hotter and wetter as he moved making it obvious how she felt.

His thrusting became more and more urgent as he came closer to orgasm. With each thrust his balls rubbed against her, enhancing her pleasure and driving her wildly towards climax. She locked her legs around his back and allowed her orgasm to rip through her. Her inner muscles gripped his shaft as he emptied every drop that his body could muster into her.

Neither moved, staying in position, giving each other light kisses as they recovered from the intense experience long enough for his erection to return, thick and hard inside her which sparked another round. Every nerve ending of her was on fire, fast approaching another orgasm. He pulled down the straps of her dress and placed a warm mouth over one nipple and sucked gently causing her vulva to contract as the erotic sensation coursed from her breast to her vagina. She heard the wet slippery sounds as he pumped in and out of her to a point where she could no longer hold back. Time stood still as he once again released and she followed explosively.

As her orgasm subsided, reality hit and the villainous tag team of "guilt" and "remorse" made an appearance, ripping through her conscience. She felt disgusted and humiliated by what just transpired.

Rolling from under him, she shook her head. "What did we just do? Why did you- Oh God, Joe, you just cheated and I helped you do it!"

He sat up, his expression a mix of shock and horror as the realization of the situation set in. "This shouldn't have happened. I don't know what I was thinking, actually, I _wasn't _thinking. Fuck, I can't believe I let it get to this point!"

"Well, you did! When our thing began months ago I refused to even touch you before I had confirmation that you were really separated and that we weren't going behind Galina's back. Now look at us! I did not want to be _that _girl. I'm ashamed and you should be too!" she scolded him.

Covering his face with his hands, he began cursing himself repetitively. When he dropped his hands, his eyes were screwed shut, trying to compose himself. "I'm so sorry."

"Me too but that's not going to change what's already done," she snatched her panties off the floor, balling them up into her hand, not bothering to put them back on before heading to the door. She tried to get as far away from where it all happened as fast as she could but it was as though every bit of energy was drained from her body, and it took everything she had just to make the walk a few doors down the hall. When she entered, she fell face first onto the bed. She was numb and couldn't feel any part of her body. The only comforting thought that went through her head was that whatever guilt she felt, he was sure to be feeling too so at least she wasn't suffering alone. She didn't know why that made her feel any better, but somehow it did...until she thought about Galina...and Ricochet.


	17. Chapter 17

Robyn woke to the phone ringing. Without opening her eyes she felt around the bed until she retrieved it from underneath her pillow and then blindly swiped the bar to answer. "Hello."

"Mornin'," Ricochet said on the other end, waking her up like a splash of ice water. "You still at the hotel?"

"Yeah," her voice was groggy and deep. "Where are you?"

"Getting ready to fly out of Orlando soon. I guess I'll see you at the arena…"

"I guess," she sighed.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course!" she tried her best to perk her tone up. "I'm just tired. I woke up early yesterday to catch the flight out here and then we went to like 3 different interviews so I was wiped out."

The guilt from last night was almost too much to bare. They were dating but they hadn't defined the relationship yet and weren't officially a couple but it still killed her inside all the same. Despite this, it would more than likely be a deal breaker if he ever found out. Just the other day he was down at the Performance Center so for all she knew he could still have a thing going on with Kacy; Robyn would never know and neither would he. The only thing that mattered going forward is what happens after they establish their relationship.

At the arena, she and Roman avoided each other like the plague. There was no way she could face him and she knew the feeling was probably mutual. She had so many things going through her head that she couldn't focus on just one of them long enough to sort it out. She was disgusted by their actions and was sure that the friendship they had going would be completely destroyed from crossing the line.

The other thing that was disturbing to her was how powerful those feelings she felt were. Every time she thought about it, her stomach fluttered, and it terrified her. What did it all mean? Was it nausea or elation? What scared her the most was that the only person who could understand, the only person who she could talk to about it was the one person she couldn't bear to face.

With it being the 20th anniversary of Smackdown and the premiere on FOX, backstage was hectic to say the least. Plus the locker room that she sat in now was overcrowded with women from both brands and a few from the past like Trish, Lita and The Bellas.

"Robyn, can I see you for a second?" Stephanie requested upon entry. Robyn followed her outside, wondering what Steph could possibly want. "Are you okay?"

"If you're referring to the dark circles under my eyes, I haven't been to hair and makeup yet because there are so many other women here tonight. I'm trying to wait until it clears out so I won't get a rush job," she replied.

"Smart. Be sure to walk the blue carpet before the show," Steph said. "But before that, I know it's last minute and wasn't on the agenda for tonight but it's Breast Cancer Awareness month so instead of kids, we have a few women who survived backstage tonight and it would be great PR for you and Joe to come greet them and pose for a couple photos."

It didn't seem like an option to turn it down so she agreed. "Sure, let me swap these flip flops for my heels and I'll be right out."

Roman was already with the group when she approached. They both listened to and addressed only the women, not able to look or say anything to each other. She did notice that he had a few bags under his eyes which told her that he'd been agonizing all night over it as well. They displayed their best forced smiles when it was time for pictures. Next, they said a few words for a video package to be produced by the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Then, they were done and left lingering. Robyn knew she couldn't let another second pass without facing up to what had gone on between them. He knew the same as he jerked his head in another direction wanting her to follow him. She trailed him to an abandoned room and closed the door behind. They stood there in silence for several minutes. She was looking straight at the floor, holding her arms tightly around her body.

"Joe," "Robyn," both spoke at the same time before she took over. "I've had some time to think and I've come to the conclusion that this was all my fault. I shouldn't have come to your room last night."

He shook his head. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have kissed you..."

"But I could've easily walked away because I doubt you would've stopped me."

"But I'm the one that-" he started but she interrupted.

"Let's just agree to share the blame, acknowledge that it was wrong and keep it our secret or else we could get in a lot of trouble, especially you because unlike before, it was _actual_ cheating this time."

"What are you going to do about Ricochet?"

"I'm already keeping secrets from him so what's one more," she shrugged. "Only one of us is married though so the bigger question is, what are you going to do about Galina?"

"I have no other choice but to hide it. I can't confirm her worst fear. The reason she wasn't comfortable with us still working together after the reconciliation was because of the threat of something like this happening but I assured her that I have never and would never cheat on her…I did and that's what's burning me up inside the most," he turned his back to her and sighed.

"Yeah, I know. It sucks because she's been nothing but good to me and this is how I repay her. I'm not a sociopath so I don't think I'll be able to look at her again without my face giving the guilt away so next time you get the bright idea to answer her FaceTime call in my presence, do not under any circumstances pass the phone to me!" Rob replied. "Anyway, do you think we'll be okay from now on as far as working together?"

"It'll be awkward but I think we'll be okay moving forward. There was this weird tension between us since the breakup so maybe _that_ broke it and got it out of our system," he concluded.

"Let's hope. I feel like such a horrible person right now," she sniffled, getting ready to wallow in her own self-pity.

"No, no you're not! You're one of the best people I've ever met. We made a mistake and things got out of control and while we both have to live with it, we can easily move on and never allow it to happen again, okay?" gently, he reached out and pulled her in for a hug. This interaction made her feel as though everything was going to be okay.

Later, in the makeup chair, Triple H was passing. He glanced over casually at her before stopping. "I keep forgetting about you."

"Clearly," she said before she knew it.

"Right now we're trying to get everything settled with the FOX move. After the draft when the smoke clears, we'll try you out for a push into the title scene," he replied.

"Really?" she sat up, excited, much to the dismay of the makeup artist working on her eyeliner. He nodded to confirm.

**robwwe: **Slaying the "no makeup" makeup lewk.

**kingricochet: **Where are you?

**robwwe: **Near catering.

**kingricochet: **OMW!

By the smile on Ricochet's face, he was appreciating what he saw so she slowly smiled back. He leaned in for a kiss but she turned her head, not feeling comfortable kissing him with lips that were just on Joe less than 24 hours ago.

He took a step back. "The cheek? Really?"

"I just got my makeup done and I don't want to mess up my lipstick," she said thinking fast and acting with the flow of the moment. "It's liquid and still damp so if I kissed you right now it would transfer and once it dries, it's hell to get it off because it's waterproof."

"How considerate…" he snorted.

It was time for a subject change. "Hunter told me that I'd be getting a push after a while but I don't want to get my hopes up."

"Nah, he's always been straight with me and if he didn't have any intention of doing it, he probably wouldn't have told you," he assured her.

"We'll see…"

He grabbed her arm. "You ready to hit this blue carpet?"

"Together?" she raised a brow.

"For the last two weeks we've been posted up on IG. Why not get it done professionally?" he asked.

"It's not a problem but you know if we do this we'll officially be viewed as a couple," she made clear.

"I don't see an issue with that but if you do, it's cool, we don't have to go," he replied.

She took a few moments to think about it. Maybe this was necessary in order to move forward and finally put the past where it belonged. "Let's go!"


	18. Chapter 18

"What are you doing, Joe?" Galina asked impatiently Thursday afternoon as he pushed her into the living room.

"Sit down, close your eyes and you'll see," he replied.

She sighed. "This better be good because I have stuff to do before the kids get home."

He situated everything on the coffee table in front of her. "Alright...now!"

Galina slowly blinked open her eyes to see the bouquet of roses, purse and jewelry box. She didn't look nearly as excited as he expected. "What is all this?"

"Gifts…"

"That much is obvious but why?" she questioned.

"I need to have a reason to shower my own wife with gifts?" he asked, defensively.

She didn't reply, instead leaning forward to pick up the purse. "I already have this bag, same color and all. As a matter of fact, you were with me when I got it."

"I was?" he blinked. "That's no problem. I can take it back and exchange it for another."

"That won't be necessary," she said, picking up the jewelry box. Her eyes widened when she saw the large hanging diamond on the necklace inside. "How much did this cost?"

"It doesn't matter. I recently signed a new contract and I get bonuses for the side work I've been doing at the hospitals."

"Joe, all of this is lovely but I can't help but feel like you're overcompensating for something," she said, which caused him to sit down in shock. _She knew._ This was it. "What has it been? Like 3 or 4 times in 3 weeks. It used to be 3 or 4 times a day when you were home to get your fill before going back on the road. It's obvious what's been going on."

He dropped his head, knowing he had no other choice but to admit the truth, beg for her forgiveness and try to do anything he could to make it right. "Galina, I am so sorry."

"For what? It's nothing to be ashamed of," she shook her head and that's when he realized they weren't talking about the same thing. "I know that you're still taking certain pills and I was curious so I looked them up and on one a potential side effect is low libido."

He didn't say anything because to confirm it would mean telling yet another lie. If what last week proved nothing else, it was that his sex drive was fine. His problem wasn't that he wasn't attracted to her and it wasn't that he didn't want her anymore. It was just there was too confliction going on inside of him and he knew that he wasn't being honest. He hated that this put worries into her head to the point where she had to do research. "Galina, I just want you to know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with _you_."

This plan totally backfired. He thought making her happy with this display would absolve some of his guilt but it only made it worse. Why he thought material things would make up for betraying her trust. He had to get it together for tonight or else.

After another successful hospital visit the next day, he headed to the car followed by Robyn. He climbed in the back and she followed.

"Hey, there's a mall right across the street and I want to go. I promise it'll take less than 10 minutes because I already know the store and what I want. Please, guys," she pouted.

"It's fine by me but I'm not the only one in here," the driver said.

"Yeah, it's cool," he nodded and they were off. She got out of the car and stomped through the parking lot like she was on a mission. He silently wondered what she was looking for. Maybe she was booked in a segment tonight and needed an outfit.

In less than 10 minutes as promised, the driver whistled. "Someone's going to have a good time tonight."

"What the…" Roman looked out of the window to see her walking across the parking lot carrying 6 Victoria's Secret shopping bags, 3 on each arm.

When she entered, she noticed their stares. "Uh...semi-annual sale."

Things got awkward quickly. The only thing that could be heard besides the radio on low volume was her humming and constant text alerts. He wasn't stupid. There might've been a sale going on but she could've easily ordered online and had it waiting at her door by the time she made it home. But no, she _needed _whatever is in those bags as soon as possible and he knew the reason. He knew the time would come eventually but he dreaded it all the same.

He cleared his throat. "Ready for the show tonight."

"Do you guys know where you're going already or is there legit suspense?" the driver chimed in.

"Some of us higher on the card have an idea of where we're going or staying. We aren't told in advance because that would only lead to leaks or talent trying to politic their way onto or out of their assigned brand so yeah, there is some level of suspense…" he replied.

"For me, it's not. How could there be suspense when I already know that he's staying on Smackdown with the way FOX has been promoting him on all the posters and banners leading up to the move, which means I'll be staying on Smackdown because we're a buy one, get one free deal but for others, like my boyfriend, there is," she replied. _Boyfriend. _Her phone chimed again and she took a picture of the bags on her lap before sending. A reply immediately came through and she giggled which confirmed his suspicions.

"Can I have a copy of the draft list?" he asked Stephanie when he made it to the arena.

"Careful where you lay it, don't want anything getting out," Steph said as she handed it to him.

"It goes no further than here because I just need to see something and I'll be done," he replied.

His name was listed under Smackdown which meant Robyn was on the blue side as well and he glanced down at the female superstar's section to confirm it. Now was the moment of truth. He scanned the paper until he found Ricochet's name highlighted in red. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. They'd be over before they started now. Raw's touring schedule has always been Friday-Monday. Smackdown's new touring schedule thanks to the move was going to be Thursday-Sunday. They'd only have Tuesday and Wednesday and if Ricochet was serious about spending time with his son, that would put a dent in his time with Robyn.

"I guess you like what you see?" Steph said and it wasn't until then that he noticed the wide smile on his face.

"You have no idea, Steph," he chuckled, returning the list to her. "Well, as you know Seth and I are starting things off so I have to run."

After the show, as he half-listened to a conversation with one of the producers, he saw Robyn coming out of the women's locker room, rolling a suitcase behind her. She didn't look happy about her boyfriend's outcome. Roman excused himself and caught up to her.

"I know what you're doing tonight," he said.

"Wow, what gave it away?" she sarcastically snorted. "The new perfume scent or the bags?"

"You can't go through with this," he shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Because...you can't!" was the only answer he could come up with before adding, "plus with the draft, it's pointless anyway because your days together are most likely numbered."

"That's none of your concern and unless you know about an STD he's hiding, another woman or can come up with a good explanation as to why I can't, you're just in my way," she turned and started off in the other direction.

Looking around, he made sure the coast was clear. "Robyn, I love you."

That stopped him in her tracks. Stopped him, too. He hadn't quite realized what he'd said until it was out. She turned and stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "What did you just say?"

"I said, I love you..." he repeated without hesitation. "...and actually, that isn't entirely true. I'm _in_ love with you and have been for awhile. By the time I realized this, after your surgery, it was too late."

She arched a brow. "And what do you want me to do with this information, Joe?"

"Huh?" he asked, confused by her response. She came closer.

"Hearing that would've meant everything to me if you weren't wearing _this_," she reached out and brought his left hand up to his eye level so that he could see the ring on his finger. "The way things are now, it means absolutely nothing and it's coming from a place of selfishness because you don't want me to sleep with Trevor. You would've _never _confessed that if you didn't see those Victoria's Secret bags this morning! The bottom line is, what's the point? Because if you think we're going to start sneaking around after what happened last week, you have another thing coming because I am not going to be your sidechick. And does Galina know you're declaring your love to someone else? That's yet another display of selfishness. I feel sorry for her at home trying to make things work while her husband is out here doing this. I just don't know what to say about you, Joe! You keep surprising me and not in a good way."

"Oh, there you are!" Ricochet said, rounding the corner. "They said you'd already left the locker room so I assumed you'd already gone out to the rental."

"Joe held me up," she muttered. "But I'm just ready to get out of here!"

"Yeah, what happened tonight was tough but we'll make it work," Ricochet nodded, either oblivious to the tension or simply not caring. "Thankfully, Joe is here to take care of you while I'm away!"

Robyn's face dropped momentarily before forcing a smile. "I'm ready to go, are you ready to go? It _is_ your birthday night after all and we have to make it special."

"You have a good night, Joe. I know I will," Ricochet winked, leaving Roman staring after them as they walked away.

* * *

Robyn managed to get herself under control as she pressed a cold towel to her face to reduce any puffiness that might've showed sign that she'd been crying. Then, she tried to go in the best she could with a shaky hand to apply concealer under her eyes and powder foundation to the rest in an attempt to disguise any redness. She had to hurry, especially after being closed off in the bathroom for way longer than she should've been. A number of things were weighing on her from Trevor remaining on Raw to her encounter with Joe.

He loved her, no, he was _in_ love with her and while he said it in a desperate attempt to derail her plans, he meant it because there was nothing but sincerity in his tone and eyes. She was shocked at how strong she held in front of him but on the inside for some otherworldly reason, her heart was heavy and an emotion she had never felt before sprang from deep within. Did she still love him? Of course but she couldn't let it show though because if he knew how he affected her, he'd continue to play these games now knowing he'd win. He was dead wrong for pulling this stunt, especially after what happened a week ago. It was cruel, especially since nothing could come of it. Falling out of love wasn't easy but she hoped to begin the process tonight.

A knock outside of the bathroom door caused her to jump, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You alright in there?"

"Yes, I'll be out in a second," she took a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself before turning off the lights and stepping out of the door. Trevor had already stripped and was sitting on the bed before walking over to meet her.

"It took you about 40 minutes to put that on but it's going to take me 4 seconds to take it off. _Shame_..." his fingertips grazed the skin of her shoulder in order to get to the straps of her negligee. The contact made her body tense. "This is your first time in, how long…?"

"It's been...uh...uhm…" she knew he probably didn't want to hear the true answer.

"Nevermind, it's not important," he replied. "I know you're probably nervous but like I told you in the ring that day, I got you."

As soon as the fabric of the negligee and matching thong hit the floor, it was on. She shrieked when he abruptly picked her up and hoisted her in the air and onto his shoulders. His tongue danced wildly over her lower lips but she couldn't concentrate on the feeling because she was wobbling. The last thing she needed was to fall backwards and sustain an injury that she'd be too embarrassed to explain, especially with a promised push in her future. Ricochet must've taken notice of her shakiness and gripped her thighs tighter which stabilized her.

By the time she closed her eyes and began to enjoy the sensations, he flipped her until they were in a standing 69 position with his hands locked behind her back. She acted accordingly, taking his head into her mouth and held onto his thighs for support. Lathering her up, he made sure to pay extra attention to her clit. Robyn remembered to breathe and took a deep inhale through her nose before continuing her bobbing motion.

Just when she was on the brink of orgasm, he changed his methods, pushing his stiff tongue inside. When he pulled out, he coated a slick path to her ass which took her by surprise. The flesh was sensitive which produced an appreciative murmur from her. The way he circled his tongue around her asshole was like French kissing and her fingernails dug desperately into his thighs. As her body stiffened with release, her mouth disconnected from him as she gasped for air.

Afterwards, he carried Robyn over to the bed and effectively folded her in half, almost like a lawn chair while her legs were pushed backwards, nearly touching her ears. She wasn't a 5'0 flexible gymnast like Kacy so she could feel the strain of being contorted. She waited in place while he secured a condom onto himself. He climbed on top of the bed, squatted above her and entered, jackhammering down in a squatting motion. She was more confused than turned on at this point.

He stopped. "Why do I feel like you're not into it?"

"Look, Trev, I know you want to flex your athleticism but can we just be normal tonight and save all of this for like the 3rd time. That way, I can already be prepared to undergo stretching exercises to limber up in advance," she laughed. "Then, you can 630 off the headboard and into me all you want."

"I'd feel like I just fucked up if you didn't mention a 3rd time which means I can redeem myself now," he replied.

They resumed things in missionary. She thought this would make things better but it was the opposite. During the fast paced foreplay, she didn't have time to think. Now that they'd slowed things down, it allowed her mind time to wander. Physically the sex was good but there seemed to be a mental block that kept her from focusing on the pleasure and enjoying it. Roman's voice and words played on loop inside her head: '_I love you...I'm in love with you.' _

Damn him! How did he still manage to ruin this night for her? She could tell by Trevor's quick thrusts that he was getting close. She felt bad because he was doing everything right and her sudden lack of enthusiasm was not his fault. Thinking quickly, she decided to fake it; holding his back tighter, forcing out short breaths and finally, clenching down around him. That seemed to do the trick as he followed...or led, _technically_.

"Well, _that _was a pretty good end to my birthday," he said as he rolled out of bed and removed the condom. "I can tell you're pretty bummed about the draft but like I told you earlier when we heard the news, _nothing _is going to get in the way of this. The only thing that can stop us is us and I don't know about you but I don't want to."

"Me either," she blinked away the tears that were forming.

"Good," he leaned down to kiss her but she shied away. "What's the problem and you're not wearing lipstick like the last time."

"You kind of…" she trailed off with a laugh. "...ate my ass, which has never happened before so thanks. I know it's my own ass and it was clean but still!"

"Oh, right," he chuckled and walked over to the bathroom. She heard a steady stream hit the toilet bowl and then his electrical toothbrush start. That's when she grabbed her phone. She wanted to post a story but first she needed to go to her privacy setting, hide story from..._kingricochet_. The last thing she needed was him seeing her petty post which would only make him ask questions that she didn't want to answer.

'_If you're reading this (which I'm sure you are)...the deed is done_.'

Ricochet returned to bed, got his kiss and was off to sleep after pillow talk. Twenty minutes later, she went back on Instagram and saw that Roman viewed the story.

The only thing she could do was shake her head. He just couldn't help himself. Her eyes felt heavy so it was time to call it a night. As she leaned over to place her phone on the bedside table, it dinged.

**Him: ? When you were mine I don't recall you having the energy afterwards to do much of anything let alone pick up your phone to gloat. To be honest, NOT saying anything at all would've sent a much stronger message. Goodnight Robyn because evidently I'm the only one capable of putting you to sleep. **

Fuming with anger, she tossed her phone aside but hearing Trevor's light breathing was soothing and calmed her. All she had to do was shake Joe and then, things would be fine. That wouldn't be hard now because as she curled around Trevor's body in what should've been the blissful afterglow, she felt herself growing increasingly resentful of Joe…


	19. Chapter 19

Galina's lips were moving but he couldn't hear a word she said over his own thoughts. He knew he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She'd been good to him, _too_ good to him during the resurrection of their marriage and she did not deserve what he'd been doing while he was away. It was completely unfair to her. It was going to be a difficult conversation to have but it had to be done.

"The boys can't agree on who they want to be for Halloween. I told them to pick what they want but they want to match of course so I don't know what to do. I guess I could send them to school in one set and then let them trick or treat in the other," she mused as she walked back and forth through the kitchen.

He sighed. "Galina, we need to talk."

"Okay?" she pulled a chair back at the table and sat down.

"You deserve to know the truth. I can't lie to you anymore. I thought I could live with it but keeping it inside and seeing your face and pretending like everything is okay is killing me. I have something to tell you. It's going to be hard for me to say and even harder for you to hear I'm sure…" he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Do you love her?" Galina blurted before he had a chance to say anything. He appeared shocked. "Do you think I'm stupid, Joe? I've been with you for how many years? If I don't know you and your behavior by now, I don't know who does. I tried to pretend and ignore the signs but this is the same feeling I had before we separated last year but it's worse this time because at least back then we were still having sex while we came to terms with things. I knew it wasn't the pills but I just wanted to see your reaction. There's really no point in lying or trying to prolong the inevitable anymore. Just answer the question."

It was officially time for the truth to come out. "G, I've loved only you from the moment we met. We've been together for all these years and I've loved every second of it. You're the best wife I could've had. I don't understand how this happened, but I love both of you. I know it makes no sense and I didn't want it to happen, but something just grabbed me when I met Robyn. We just clicked. I feel like I'm someone else when she and I are together. Like there's me, you and the kids, and then there's this other me and her. I'm so sorry, baby. I don't know what to do."

"But there's just one of you and I don't share. I don't think any woman could share her husband and still have any self-respect unless it's one of those open relationships and I'm not going for that. So, what do you want to do?"

He was nervous, feeling as if his whole life depended on the answer. "I don't know. Look at our kids, history and life together. I can't decide."

She shook her head. "If you can't decide, that means you already have."

"I guess I have," he acknowledged with a nod.

"Yeah, your mind is clearly with her already. When you got that call from her before surgery, I think you saw your time with her flash before your eyes a. God forbid but I don't want something else to happen to her while you're here and she's there alone. It'll require more than just a hospital visit…" she said. "I made peace with us not being together the first time around and I was okay with it but then the thing happened with Jojo and if you were willing to try again, so was I."

"I tried, don't ever think I didn't but I guess it's true that when it's gone, it's gone. Trust me, if the reconciliation would've been a success I would've been happy to live out the rest of my days here with you and the kids," he replied. "Speaking of kids, what are we going to do about Jojo?"

"I'm sure she'll be upset just like the last time but eventually she'll get over it. You told her that you'd always be here but I think you'll just have to _show_ her and she'll be convinced."

There was pain from both of them now. He was conflicted, feeling the elation of a new life with Robyn and the pain of leaving Galina, all at the same time.

"Galina, I love you, always have, always will," he said.

"I know but I feel like this is the right thing to do. Plus, my ego wouldn't have allowed me to stay with a man who loves someone else for much longer. We'll pick up the kids later and then have that talk before going further."

"I'll contact management so the PR team can be on standby…"

* * *

Where Ricochet got his stamina from, she'd never know. Groaning, Robyn stretched her arms above her head. "I have to get up and go back to my place but I don't feel like it."

"Then don't," he turned on his side to face her and softly ran his hand over the side of her face.

"I haven't packed yet. I actually wrestle in tags at live events so I have to get my gear and all of that together," she tilted her face up to his and he kissed her.

"Just get up early tomorrow and do it," he suggested. "Seriously, don't leave. I want to wake up exactly like this in the morning."

She raised a brow. "Tired, sweaty and laying on bodily fluid soaked sheets with a used condom stuck to your hip?"

"Well, not _exactly_ like this but maybe after we shower and change the sheets later on," he laughed. She looked up to see he'd closed his eyes.

She ran a hand over his head and heard him sigh. "If you can't tell already, I'm really, really happy right now."

"I can tell. The difference between your reactions today compared to last Friday is like night and day," he replied and she knew the reason was because she hadn't thought about Joe once. She sat up and he grabbed her hand to stop her. "I thought I convinced you to stay."

"Relax, I'm just going to the bathroom," she laughed. Once she finished, she washed her hands and rubbed raspberry-vanilla lotion into her palms...likely some of Kacy's leftovers. When she walked back out, she found Trevor staring at his phone, jaw dropped. "What?"

"Listen to this headline," he cleared his throat. "_Galina Becker files for divorce from husband, WWE's Roman Reigns." _

Robyn gasped, frozen in her tracks. "No? Are you serious?"

"It's on TMZ right now! Look," he held out his phone which forced her to move forward. With shaky hands, she scrolled through the article.

_The wife of Joe Anoa'i, better known as Roman Reigns filed in a Florida court yesterday and we have obtained a copy of the divorce petition. The WWE Superstar and Galina were college sweethearts, marrying in 2014. _

_According to the document, she'll keep the house, two of their three vehicles, her jewelry collection, a lump sum of money and monthly child support. He keeps 100% of all rights and interest in his WWE contract, endorsements and investments which are all worth a ton of money if the number dropped in the finance report is correct. _

_As for their three children, Galina is asking the court for joint legal custody and primary physical custody due to his schedule. _

_WWE issued a statement when contacted: It is with great sadness that we confirm this information. The decision was reached mutually and amicably. No other parties were involved. Their priority is, as always, their children. Joe will not be commenting at this time and asks that his family be given their privacy._

"Well, I'll be damned," she was stunned, reading and rereading it numerous times just to make sure it was real. "I don't even know what to say right now."

"_No other parties were involved_. That sounds like PR speak for there was another woman and they're trying to get in front of the story before it comes out," Trevor concluded.

"I think they snuck that in there because they knew it's what everyone was going to assume and that was their way to combat it," she reasoned.

"There may not have been someone else but women will be lining up now to help Joe consummate his divorce," he chuckled.

_Women. _She had to sit down on that note_. _He could have his choice now when in reality, if things would've gone according to plan, it would be her. It felt like the walls were closing in and she couldn't breathe. No, not this again. She was here with a perfectly fine man already. Joe had his chance to do the right thing and he blew it. Feeling around on the nightstand next to her, she grabbed a condom.

Climbing on top of Ricochet, she took him in her hand and stroked until he was hard before snapping the latex on. "Let's focus on consummating our right now especially since I'm back on the road tomorrow."

The next evening, she noticed something different about the backstage atmosphere at Friday's Smackdown taping. Most of the women down to the ring crew and catering staff were dressed up, hair laid, makeup slayed. Did she miss the memo? Was it school picture day? What was going on? Suddenly it hit her...one of the hottest men in WWE was now single. The locker room filled with new faces, thanks to the draft was already buzzing when she entered.

"Has anyone seen him yet?" Carmella asked.

"You have Corey, what are you worried about Joe for?" Sonya snorted.

"Hey, I'm just asking," Carmella shrugged.

"Maybe he's taking some time off until things cool down. I'm sure he has to get some stuff in order," Dana said.

"It'll be a shame if all this thirst around the arena goes to waste today if he isn't even here to see it," Mandy laughed.

"After being with someone outside of the business for so long, he probably wants to keep it that way and avoid the messiness of hooking up with someone backstage so it might be going to waste anyway," Alexa replied. If that was the case Robyn wouldn't be in the situation she's in right now.

"Has he mentioned anything to you?" Bayley asked her.

"About what?"

"Problems in his marriage, any signs at all that this was coming?"

"No, but we never really discussed his personal life," she denied, trying to distance herself from him so there'd be no implication of her.

**Him: Can we talk after the show? Either in my room or yours. **

**Rob: Remember what happened the last time we were alone in a room? If you want to talk, we can meet somewhere in the arena. **

**Him: How about we talk on the ride to the hotel? **

**Rob: That'll work. **

After the show, Robyn lingered around until most of the wrestlers were gone before ducking into his rental.

"I think you're the only woman backstage not dressed like a contestant on The Bachelor," he said, shifting into reverse.

"I'm pretty sure the women who participate on that show are single and I'm not sooo...anyway, I'm here."

"No comment?"

"Congratulations on _finally_ living your truth," she clapped sarcastically.

"I'm not exactly living it yet because the truth is, I'm supposed to be with you right now."

"You had your chance to be with me and what did you do? You went back after I warned you that it wouldn't work out and guess what? I was right."

"Let's not focus on who was right and who was wrong. The question is, what do we do now?"

"The answer is, you go on with your life and I'll go on with mine. Did you really think I'd come back and we'd pick up where we left off just like that?" she asked and he didn't respond. "You did! Joe, things between Ricky and I are great. I am not leaving a healthy relationship to get my heart broken again."

"I understand why you feel that way and I don't blame you for a second because I'm the one who did that to you but things are different now. It's not just words and empty promises. We took action and filed so that alone should tell you that it's real this time."

"_Filed_, not _final_. Who's to say you two won't change your mind again between now and then. Next thing you know I'll get comfortable again only to read the headline, 'WWE's Roman Reigns Withdraws Divorce - Reunited with Wife.' My exact words to you during that first conversation we had after our break up was this: _Make sure the divorce papers are signed and finalized before you move on and break the next girl's heart_," she quoted. "Sorry, I'm not going to be that girl but I know plenty who would love the opportunity."

"Don't be like this, Rob," he pleaded.

"Be like what? Over it?" she asked.

"Please, keep in mind that we did this for you."

"No, you did it for _yourselves_! Do not put that guilt trip on my conscience to make me feel like this was my fault, therefore making it seem like I'm obligated to take you back when in reality, your divorce was set in motion before you even met me and would've happened regardless."

He pulled into the hotel parking lot and found a spot on the back row. When he shifted into park, neither of them moved to get out. Suddenly, he turned to her. "Oh yeah, how was your appointment yesterday?"

She sat up, her brows knitting. "Wait, how did you know about that?"

"I was given all of your paperwork when I took you home from the hospital that day and saw the dates of your follow up," he reminded her.

"Oh wow," she blinked with surprise. "That was a while ago. I can't believe you remembered."

"Of course I did. Are you surprised to know that I still care? I never stopped and probably never will. Even if you don't take me back, I'll still want to know if you're okay," he proclaimed.

"Everything has healed up properly and I'm good," she smiled slightly. "I'm supposed to be mad at you right now."

"You wouldn't have been able to stay mad at me for long anyway because you know despite this messed up situation I created, my feelings for you are genuine and I never meant to hurt you the way I did by going back," he said and his eyes never left hers until she turned away to look out of the window. Even then, she could still feel them on her. "Robyn?"

The way he said her name as if caressing her from inside out sent chills down her spine. She continued to look away, not even giving him the satisfaction of knowing the hold he still had on her. Why did she continue to put herself in these situations with him knowing that he was too powerful to resist. Taking a deep breath, she tried to gain control over the emotions he was wreaking havoc on. "Why won't you leave me alone, Joe?"

"Turn around and I'll tell you," he said and when she did, he was leaned over the armrest, closing in so that their lips met. She froze but made no effort to pull away. They stayed like that for awhile as he did all the work until her eyes closed and she reluctantly responded, moving her lips with his. He unclicked her seatbelt that was restricting her movement which allowed him to now pull her closer. She felt his hand move down her waist and then to hee hip until it finally disappeared inside the front of her jeans. Without thinking, she tilted her pelvis forward, eagerly offering herself to him. Squealing, she bit his bottom lip when his large hand cupped her entire mound, rubbing until the middle finger slid deep inside.

Robyn's hips rocked back and forth slowly as his finger dove in and out. Letting her head fall to the crook of his neck she inhaled the familiar scent. The sound of his free hand unzipping his jeans filled the car. She knew this was going too far. Why couldn't he have stayed away? She was coping without him, trying to get over it. Roman pulled away, going back to his side to recline the driver's seat.

"Climb over here," he commanded in that deep, velvet voice of his. "We can do this without the guilt overtaking us afterwards like the last time."

"No, that's where you're wrong," she shook her head. "We can do this without the guilt overtaking _you_. You've officially ruined your own relationship. I can't sit here and allow you to ruin mine."

"You're just going to leave me _like this_?!" he asked.

"You have two hands, take care of it yourself…"

Chuckling in disbelief, he shook his head. He reached over to lift her chin and force her gaze to make contact with his. "I love you."

"I-I-I...have to go," she stammered, reaching for the door handle behind her.


	20. Chapter 20

**One of my readers met him yesterday in Australia. So happy for you. Enjoy this, love :-)**

* * *

"What are you going to do today?" Trevor asked her on Facetime early Monday morning.

"Nothing much. I may go to the Performance Center when I get up," she yawned. "It's been a while since I've gone down there."

"Speaking of workout..." he switched to the rear camera so that she could see that he was currently in a gym. "I just got off my flight and this is my first stop so I'm about to get mine in now before heading to the hotel and then the arena later."

"Okay, well I won't interrupt you any further," she puckered her lips at the screen for a virtual kiss and he did the same. She was getting ready to disconnect until he stopped her.

"Show me something!" he requested and she raised her shirt, already braless.

It'd been at least two months since she'd been to the Performance Center. If she was going to be built up and pushed soon, she'd need to polish her skills.

"Really? Now?" Robyn groaned when her low fuel alert chimed on the way. She pulled over at the first gas station she saw. There was a car parked on the other side of the pumps as she filled her tank. Just as she hung the nozzle up, a teen walked out of the store and over to the other car. She had to do a double take to see that it wasn't a teen at all.

"Kacy?"

"Oh, hi, Robbie," Kacy awkwardly spoke. She didn't sound upset but she also didn't sound very happy to see her.

Robyn herself was no stranger to post-breakup pains. She was constantly posting herself with Ricochet to get back at Roman but never thought about how it affected Kacy. She'd never forget the sting of seeing him with Galina on the red carpet at the Hobbs and Shaw premiere shortly after their reconciliation. "Do you have a minute to talk?"

"I can already guess what the topic of discussion will be," she said.

"I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to…"

"No, it's fine. I guess I'll start at the end. Trevor going on the road was a big adjustment for me. I was stressed and trying to focus on training so I could be featured on TV. Things just became..."

"...complicated," Robyn finished, remembering him describe the situation using that very word.

"Yes," she nodded. "We talked and decided that we needed a break. I never acknowledged it as a break _up_ because we were still friends and acted the same. But then, he pops up with you and we haven't spoken since. It hurt but I just gave up. How am I supposed to compete with someone who looks like you that can get any man you want?"

"You don't have to compete with me. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. We attracted the same guy so what does that say?"

"It says the same thing that everyone on social media has been saying: he upgraded!" she stated.

"Kacy, if you take everything about you and me, and I'm not just talking about looks, into account, believe me, I'm not an upgrade at all," she knew an upgrade wouldn't have been in a car getting fingered by another man. "I don't even deserve him to be honest."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's not important," she brushed off.

"Can you not tell him about this?" she asked "I don't want to look pathetic."

"As far as I'm concerned, this conversation never happened," Robyn assured just as her phone dinged.

**Him: Where are you? **

**Rob: About to head to the PC. **

**Him: Do you HAVE to go? **

**Rob: No, I just want to. Why do you ask? **

**Him: I'm in route to your condo. Meet me there. **

This left her curious and it also gave her an excuse to leave now that things were getting uncomfortable with Kacy.

**Rob: OMW. **

When she arrived, he was already in the parking lot so she pulled up beside his car and let the window down. "What are you doing here?"

"I need help," he replied.

"With what?"

He leaned over to open the passenger side door. "Get in."

She thought about it for a second and realized she had nothing else to do. "Alright."

"You can plug your phone into my charger if it's low because you'll need it where we're going," he said as she pulled the seatbelt across her body.

On the way, she told him about the Kacy encounter. "...and I just feel really, really bad for her. Clearly she still loves him meanwhile I'm sitting here with you."

"Some couples just fit. That's Ric and Kacy. You should stop being selfish and let her have him."

"You're can't call anyone selfish after you cheated on your poor wife, tried to prevent me from sleeping with my own boyfriend by dropping the L word and then tried to have sex with me in a parking lot before the ink was even dry on your divorce papers!"

"My wife is far from poor. Believe me, I've already written the check," he chuckled.

"So no comment on the rest?" she snorted. "How is Jojo?"

"She hasn't said a word to me since we broke the news…" he sighed, shaking his head.

"These things take time but she'll come around," Robyn reached over to rub his arm comfortingly. "On a side note, if you'd gone through with it a few months ago like planned, she'd probably be over it by now."

"You're probably right but there's nothing I can do about that now…"

"Have you checked your Instagram comments lately?" she asked.

"I never do."

"Well, maybe you should because you definitely have options. I can imagine what your DMs look like," she snickered. "I bet you have all kinds of propositions and nudes in there."

Pretty soon it became clear that they were heading to Tampa. She panicked. "Please don't tell me we're going to your house! I didn't go in the first time you tried to take me there."

"Actually, that's Galina's house now. I'm searching for my own," he informed.

That's when it clicked. "_Ohhh_, you want to house shop."

"Yes," he confirmed. "It's a big investment and I feel like I could use a woman's opinion on this."

They went to several neighborhoods and even looked at a house around the corner from Galina. None of them were really eye catching in Robyn's opinion.

"Joe, how many more are there?"

"There's only 2 left, can you just hang in there with me, please?" he asked, hitting the turn signal.

"I don't mind, it's just that I can't keep them straight at this point. After the first 5 they all started looking the same…"

"Well, that's why I asked you to take pics and vids along the way. We'll go back to your condo later on, look at the footage and narrow it down," he said, pulling up the driveway of another house. "I was told the side door would be open when we arrived."

"Good, we get to look around ourselves. The realtor who showed us the last 2 kept flirting with you, touching you and laughing for no reason. She was insufferable," Rob muttered.

"Sounds like someone's jealous," he smirked.

"No, I just felt disrespected. She didn't know if I was your girlfriend or what while she was doing all of that!"

"Well, you made it your business to be as far away from me as possible during the tour and sometimes you didn't even follow us from room to room. That's not exactly body language that screams couple and I'm not wearing the ring on my finger that usually repels women so what did you expect?"

"There's a reason for that. We don't know who's a wrestling fan or not. I'm pretty sure she wasn't but what if we ran into an agent who was and they decided to get on Twitter like, '_I showed Roman Reigns a house today. He was with Robyn...'_ There's no way we could spin that into something work related. It would look 100 times worse if '_...and they were all over each other!_' ended that sentence a week after your divorce announcement," she explained. "You probably don't care about appearances anymore because the news is out there now but I do. I'll be known as the woman who probably broke up Roman's marriage _and_ cheated on Ricochet. Imagine two different sets of fangirls coming for my neck."

"He has fangirls?"

She rolled her eyes. "Some of the worst looking guys on the roster have fangirls so let's not act like one of the best looking doesn't. They just aren't strong in number like yours but give him some time and a proper push."

"_Anyway_, you're right. I want your reputation pristine when we finally come out," he opened the door and she entered.

"Come out of what or where?" she laughed, pointing her phone's camera up at the high ceiling.

It was two stories with six bedrooms, a nice kitchen, a huge living room, a gym and recreational room. She loved the gorgeous marble countertops, flooring and walls. They found themselves ending the tour in the master bedroom which had a balcony with a view of the beach off in the distance.

"Look at that," he commented in awe. "Imagine coming off the road after a long tour and just kicking back, watching the waves."

"I was thinking the exact same thing," she replied, just as he sat down in a lounge chair. There was only one so he pulled her into his lap. They stayed there in silence for about 15 minutes until she turned to face him. "In the end, you and your bank account have the final say but in my opinion this is not only the best house we've seen all day, it's _the one_! It's perfect and has everything: the kid's rooms, a big backyard for the boys to play in, the gym is right up your alley, a huge master bedroom with a walk-in closet and of course, the beach is right there. Oh, and most importantly, the schools are close just in case one of the children get sick or something and Galina isn't available to pick them up."

"I guess that settles it then. We can get you back to Orlando now," he stood.

"Wait, I thought there were 2 more? What about the last house?"

"You said it yourself, this is _the one_," he reminded. "I really feel like the beach is what sold you on it and the last one is in the suburbs. It's a nice neighborhood but the only view is the other houses."

"Joe, it's not up to me so if you want to see it for yourself, we can," she held onto his arm as they descended the stairs.

"Nah, I'm good. Are you hungry? It's almost 6 so I'm sure Galin-"

"No!" she blurted. "Well, I am but we can stop at a fast food place somewhere on the way."

"You can't avoid her forever…"

We'll see about that," she mumbled. "Does she know that we..._you know_...behind her back?"

"I'm not sure. I was getting ready to confess but she cut me off. Then, the conversation turned into me falling in love with you, not sleeping with you."

When they made it back to Orlando, she went in to get takeout from a restaurant. After that, she sat on top of her kitchen counter browsing furniture sites.

"This bed on top of those floors?!" she whistled. "_Fire_! Look at the headboard. You're going to have to pay me or give me something for playing interior designer when I don't have to and you definitely don't deserve it."

"I'll give you something alright," he walked between her open legs.

"Joe, you have to stop," she sighed.

"Not until you leave him," he replied. "I've been in the locker room with him so I know he's a good guy but he's not worth throwing away everything we had."

"_You_ threw it away, not me and that's a fact," she pushed against his chest to create space. "Just because you want it back now doesn't make it any less true."

"That was one of the worst mistakes I've ever made and I'm trying to rectify it if you'll let me," he said. "You don't think I'm capable of picking out a house on my own? I would've been okay with any 3 bedroom place, for me and the kids whenever they spend the night. It doesn't make a difference to me now anyway because I'll barely be there but I know eventually I'll have to retire and live there...hopefully with you. I'll want more children to raise there...again, with you. _That's_ the reason I came here today, to take you to pick out _our _house."

She shook her head. "Why would you plan a future with someone like me?"

"What do you mean someone like you?"

"You don't know if I'll be here this time next year, let alone when you retire."

"This time last year I didn't know if I myself would be here but I was never as morbid or cynical about the situation as you are right now because I had faith," he captured her face between his hands. "Robyn, you're fine and have no reason to think otherwise but I don't care if you have until next year, next week, ten or twenty years; I just want to spend every second of whatever time we both have left _together_. That's why you need to drop Ricochet because he'll never understand you like I do. If he's anything outside of the ring like he is inside, he'll land on his feet. Let him go before his feelings get too deep and he winds up hurt because we both know how this is going to end."

"How is it going to end, Joe?" she raised a brow. "No, don't spoil it but now that I know you can predict the future, I'm sure you already know that this is the part where I ask you to leave."

"I've been drinking. I'm not going to make the drive back to Tampa," he'd invaded her cabinets after they ate and helped himself to two shots of liquor.

"Okay, I'll take you to a hotel…"

"You've been drinking," he pointed out and she looked down at the empty wine glass beside her. "_WWE Superstar arrested for DUI...newly single WWE Superstar found in passenger seat_."

"Uber…" she suggested.

"_I picked up Roman Reigns and he was fucked up. I thought he'd pass out before I got him to his destination_…"

"Hey, that's on you because my name will be nowhere in that story," she shrugged. "And at least you'll get props for having a designated driver instead of getting behind the wheel drunk like another Samoan we know."

"Leave my family out of this, Rob!" he frowned.

"Sorry, the opportunity was right there," she chuckled.

"And just for that low blow I'm not leaving."

"You never intended to leave. If it wasn't for that you would've found another excuse," she replied. "It's late, you've been drinking and after a long day out, you probably don't feel like the hassle of checking into a hotel but fortunately, I have a guest room. Stop smiling! Before you get excited, my bedroom door will be locked just in case you get any ideas and set your alarm for 6 so you can be out of here before Trevor even boards his flight."

He picked up her wine bottle and refilled her glass before handing it to her. "Let's toast."

"To what?"

"To life."

"To life," she repeated as their glasses clinked. That's when he decided to lean it. Before he was able to make it, her phone rang. _Trev. _"Shh!"

"Hello?"

"How was your workout?"

"Uhh..." she knew she couldn't lie because he still had friends in NXT and could easily find out that she never arrived. "Something came up that I had to take care of so I turned around."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, it's f-fi-fine. Hold on!" she stuttered as Joe closed in to kiss a path from her ear to her neck. She shoved him away, jumped down from the countertop and headed to her bedroom. "Sorry, I was trying to do too many things at once."

"Can tomorrow get here already?"

"I know, right?" she forced a laugh. "You were amazing tonight, as always. Oh, and I don't want to get in your business but have you talked to Kacy lately."

"Not really, why?"

"Because on my way to the PC, I stopped for gas and ran into her. She looked kind of sad. Sometimes breakups are hard especially if there isn't proper closure and one party moves on faster than the other. I don't know, it may not have had anything to do with you at all."

"Okay, I'll check on her when we get off the phone."

"No, not tonight because I don't want it to look like I told you but maybe sometime next week you can shoot her a quick hey text or something."

"This is really considerate of you. Most women don't want their boyfriend looking in the general direction of their ex."

"Yeah…" she knew she was in no position to get upset about him _talking _to his ex when hers was currently making himself at home.

He yawned on the other side of the line. "Alright, I'm about to hit the sheets. Goodnight."

"Night," she replied before ending the call.

"Did you let him down gently?" Joe asked as she entered the living room.

"It's getting late. You don't have to go to sleep right now but I'm tired so I need to show you what's what before I go to bed," she said and he followed her to the guest room. "Alright, there's already towels in the bathroom, here's some unscented body wash so you don't have to smell floral like me, I don't know if you plan on washing your hair tonight but here's a few of my products just in case and you left a toothbrush over here from a long time ago. Trevor spent the night last week and I washed his clothes. They're in my room if you need something to wear home."

"Rob, your boyfriend is 5'9; I'm 6'3. He's 188; I'm 265. The only thing of his that I can fit is _you_," he grumbled. "I still have bags that I haven't unloaded from last week in the trunk and there's some fresh clothes in there that I'll sneak down to get in the morning."

"Okay, well good, I think that just about covers everything. Enjoy your stay," she turned.

"What, no goodnight kiss?"

"If I give you an inch, you'll take a mile. Or should I say, if I give you an inch, you'll try to give me back a few of your own…"

He laughed. "Just a _few_? I feel a little insulted right now."

"You know what I mean," she smiled. "Goodnight."

Despite being tired, she tossed and turned in bed until 2AM. She sat up. It was as if she was a mindless zombie that couldn't stop as she walked through the hallway. His door was cracked but it was blacked out dark inside so she couldn't see whether he was awake or not.

Quietly, she pushed it open, tiptoeing over to his bedside. His body was motionless. She was getting ready to back away until she saw a shadow of the sheets being lifted, held up in an invitation that she gladly accepted. Crawling inside, she draped herself on top of him. Nothing about this was sexual, she just wanted to be near him and feel his warmth. There wasn't anything poking her stomach so he must've felt the same as one arm tightened around her back. With her head on his chest, she could feel his body rising and falling as his breathing slowed. In just moments, sleep finally arrived and her unconscious journey to the next morning began.

* * *

The alarm woke Joe at the time he set it, 6AM. Robyn was already gone. He couldn't sleep and the bed was lonely but he respected her boundaries enough to not enter her space but soon enough she came to him as they fell asleep together like the lovers they should be. She still seemed resentful but was slowly warming up. All she had to do was get rid of her boyfriend and they'd be back on track but at the moment she was too stubborn to pull the plug.

He was getting ready to step into the same pants he wore yesterday until he spotted his bag on the dresser. Apparently she'd been busy this morning because when he opened the door, the scent of breakfast hit his nose and once he made it to the kitchen, she was standing over the stove in a silk robe.

He stepped behind her and put his hands on her waist. "Good Morning."

"Morning, now go sit down and let me finish," she replied and he followed instructions. A few minutes later, she placed a plate in front of him. "It's probably not what you're used to at home but it's better than driving back to Tampa on an empty stomach."

"I don't care. You did it so it's good enough for me," he said, picking up his fork. "Now imagine doing this every morning in the marble and stainless steel kitchen of _our _house."

"Joe, that's not what this is. It's October 22 so with it being the anniversary of your announcement, I decided to do something special," she said.

"Aww, baby. Thank you," he smiled. "You know, that was such a vulnerable moment for me and it was hard but simply telling the truth and sharing my story, I could immediately feel something positive in my core. I knew I did the right thing. I felt that love and that support and I knew I had to pay it forward, which is what we're doing now."

"I've been with you to those hospitals since your return and you truly are an inspiration to us all. I see the way you light up those children's lives. You are the most caring, compassionate man I've ever met. I don't even know what to say to express how I feel about you right now…"

"'_Joe, I love you and I'll come back_," he replied. "It's as simple as that."

"You're really going to make me ruin this moment?" she rubbed her temples, her eyes going vacant for a second. "I do love you but I don't know, I just need time."

That wasn't exactly a no. "How much time?"

"You'll know when...or _if _I'm ready," she cryptically responded, looking down at her phone's time. "Trevor took a 5AM flight and he's coming from Cleveland so he'll touch down at 7:30ish and I'm picking him up from the airport. I still have to get dressed and do a walk through of the condo to make sure nothing screams there was a man here last night, so in other words, we need to wrap this up."

"Sure," he couldn't help the disappointment that crept into his voice.


	21. Chapter 21

**So I was asked if I was going to incorporate the Team Hogan stuff into the story since Ro/Ric are on the same side but when I started brainstorming/drafting this chapter a few weeks ago I forgot Crown Jewel was even a thing...so, enjoy a regular Halloween chapter. :-)**

* * *

"If you aren't going out, why did you go through the trouble of putting on a costume?" Trevor asked inside of Rob's apartment after he'd taken numerous shots of her.

"Don't you know women stunt on the 'gram all the time without actually leaving the house?" she chuckled in her The Mask of Zorro, Elena Montero inspired look complete with a sword. "I've been invited to a few things but right now I just want to take this off and watch scary movies until I fall asleep. Plus it's a Thursday night and what happens tomorrow?"

"Friday Night Smackdown…"

"Right," she confirmed with a nod. "So, I just want to have a quiet night and rest up."

"Well, I'm going out with my son. I'd invite you but his mother is very particular about who I bring around him," he said in his black Adidas tracksuit, bucket style hat and gaudy gold chains.

"I understand. I wouldn't feel right meeting him this soon anyway so it's fine," she assured.

"I'll call when I'm finished but if it's late, I'll just go back to my place and see you in the morning," he kissed her. "Have fun, Elena."

"You too, Run...or are you DMC?"

**Him: What are you doing? **

**Rob: Loading up Netflix.**

**Him: Are you alone? **

**Rob: I am now, why? **

She waited for a response but after 15 minutes, nothing. A knock on her door caused her to jump. Looking through the peephole, she saw a large figure wearing a Michael Myers head. It creeped her out.

"It's me, Rob before you call security," the mask muffled voice said.

"Don't scare me like that!" she said, opening the door. "What are you doing here and don't tell me you need help again?"

"I want to show you the house. I've ordered some of the things you recommended. No, I'm lying," he freely admitted. "I just want to take you out tonight."

"Joe, we can't keep doing this to Trevor. Well maybe _you_ can but I can't," she shook her head.

"Doing what? Since the car thing, nothing sexual or romantic has happened. We'll just be friends spending Hallloween together."

"That's still inappropriate because I wouldn't be able to call him and say, '_Ricky_, _I'll be hanging out with single Joe tonight and it's definitely not work related'_ without setting off all kinds of alarms in his head."

"Rob, tonight is very important to me and I need you to be there," his tone was serious.

"Why do you do this? It only makes me curious and I end up going along with it just like last week when you claimed to have needed help," she sighed. "Let's go."

Off to Tampa they went again until they stopped in front of his previous residence.

She sunk down in her seat. "Joe…don't make me do this. We aren't even together! What am I supposed to go in there and say? '_Hey, Galina, didn't take him long, did it? Hi kids, Daddy wants to live with me now._'"

"Not exactly," he reached behind them to the back seat and handed her a Jason mask. "Put this on."

"This doesn't exactly go with my look..."

"It's going to have to tonight."

"The only reason I'm coming in is because the sooner we do whatever this is, the sooner you can have me back in Orlando," she fixed the mask over her face and got out of the car. He knocked and they waited. "Aren't you still living here until you get ready to move into the new house? Why not use your key?"

"I'm just trying to give her a warning that we're here instead of just barging in," he explained.

Galina opened the door looking like Robyn's worst nightmare in a pair of devil horns.

The living room was filled with little Halloween decorations, a sign that children lived there. Their wedding photos and the like were still on the walls. She could hear the boys before she saw them as they ran around the corner with one chasing the other wearing matching Captain America costumes. Jojo was on the sofa, eyes glued to her iPad wearing a costume of some character Robyn didn't recognize. None of them seemed to notice her until Galina cleared her throat.

"Kids," Galina called them over. "I'm taking a break tonight and I don't want your dad to go alone so a friend of mine is going to help him out."

"What's your name?" one of the boys asked.

If Joe gave her a mask, it was for a reason so she decided to lighten her voice from its usual tone. "Elena."

"Elena what?" Jojo inquired further.

"Montero," the movie released in 1998 so she could get away with it.

"Can I see you in the kitchen, _Elena_," Galina requested.

"Sure…" Robyn nodded, following her.

"For the record, this was not my idea but Joe was adamant about it happening and convinced that you're going to be in his life so why not?" she said. "The thing is, Jojo is still upset and the first time we let her in on the divorce plan, she blamed you. She hasn't mentioned you this time but seeing your face and knowing you're here with Joe may trigger her."

Robyn grimaced behind her mask. "Yeah, that's what I figured this face disguise was about."

"Moving on, you and Ricochet. As of just a few hours ago you were tagging each other and now you're here with Joe so I'm confused about what's going on. How are you meeting Joe's children while in a relationship with another man?"

"It's complicated…"

"That seems to be a trend with you," Galina muttered. "Anyway, I'm going to ask you a question and I want the truth."

"Okay, go ahead?" Robyn took a deep breath and braced herself.

"Were you sleeping with my husband while we were back together?"

"I-I-I, I didn't want to…"

"But you did and I'm pretty sure he didn't force you," she looked at Rob accusingly. "If I was vindictive, I would never allow you to set foot in my house or even speak my children's names, let alone take them out. Joe did not have a prenup because we both thought our marriage was forever so I could've easily taken half, asked for the maximum in child support for all 3 kids and spousal support. He wouldn't have been able to get that big, nice house he just bought or _any _house for that matter because I would've drained him to the point where all he'd be able to afford was a shitty apartment. Hell, he probably would've had to move in with and live off of you. The only thing saving you two is me knowing that what we had was already gone. That's it."

"I am so sorry and I never meant to betray you. Also, _slept_ because _sleeping _with would imply that it happened more than once which neither of us could've done because we felt horrible afterwards. We were just caught up in the moment, not that that made it right," Robyn apologized.

"It didn't. But seriously, you need to figure out what you want to do and where you want to be, whether that's with Joe or Ricochet because straddling the fence isn't going to work. Take it from me, finding out your significant other is in love with someone else isn't a good feeling," her expression was blank. "Kids are involved now and they don't need someone who's going to be in and out of their lives depending on the week."

Their first stop of course was their own neighborhood and then Joe loaded them up in the car.

"How do you know my dad?" Jojo asked.

"She knows your mom," Joe answered.

"I asked _her_," Jojo replied. "Did you go to Georgia _State_?"

Robyn saw Joe's grip tightened on the steering wheel. Jojo was smart enough to set a trap but Robyn was smarter and recognized the trick question when she heard it. "I think you mean, Georgia _Tech_."

"Yeah..." Jojo mumbled and Joe visibly relaxed.

Things were going smoothly after hitting two more neighborhoods.

"Shit, it's hot under here," he raised the mask to breathe in fresh air as they watched the three children approach a front door while they hung back at the mailbox.

"Just take it off. You don't have anything to hide like me."

"Actually, I do. I don't want to risk being recognized which will only lead to selfies and/or some smark telling me how much better the show would be if we did this or that when I'm just trying to spend time with my family," he explained.

"The boys are so well behaved. I assumed we'd have to run after them and everything else once we hit the streets," she commented.

"We would have a few months ago but with them starting school this year Galina broke them from that because she didn't want them being hyperactive with their teacher."

"I didn't know how this would go but I'm actually enjoying it this far. This feels so natural and it's really making me think about us and how a future with me inserted into this mix would look," she revealed.

"Oh?" he asked, raising one of his thick dark brows.

"_Think_, just think. I don't want to make any promises, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed with a nod just as they heard the front door of the house close and they kids began approaching.

"There's a haunted house a few blocks away, Dad," Jojo said. "I heard about it at school today."

Joe pulled into a full parking lot in front of a building covered in cobwebs with windows boarded up. "Oh, wow. This may be okay for someone your age but not appropriate for 3 year olds so I need to go check it out first and I'll be back for you guys."

Trevor called, she let it ring. He called again and her actions were the same. A third attempt was made but he hung up after 4 rings.

"Why didn't you answer?" Jojo inquired.

"Oh, it wasn't important," she shook her head.

**Trevor: I guess you really did watch movies and fall asleep. I'll try again in the morning. **

"Alright, I spoke to one of the organizers and it's friendly to all ages," Joe popped back up to inform them.

They let the children out of the back. Jojo walked ahead while Joe grabbed one twin's hand and she grabbed the other.

The 'scares' in the house were hilariously bad and she found herself chuckling quite few times but of course Robyn didn't have a child's point of view. The kids seemed to be handling it well, shrieking a couple times.

Then, it happened. Someone in a Pennywise clown costume slowly crawled up on them. It was creepy even for Robyn and she noticed before the children. Jojo jumped when it grabbed her leg and the boys went into hysterics screaming. Joe picked up one and she followed suit. Robyn's twin wiggled, his arms flailing and the mask was knocked off.

"No!" she yelled, trying to cover her face but it was too late.

"I knew it! Robyn had the same gold phone case as _Elena_!" Jojo hissed. "I thought you didn't leave us for her?"

"Boys, go play in the fog down the hall. Robyn keep an eye on them to make sure they don't go any further while I handle this," he directed before he knelt in front of Jojo, lifting his mask. "Joelle, your mother and I's problems began long before Robyn came into the picture. We just didn't want you to know. I'm sure you don't understand this right now but staying would've eventually done more harm than good and that wouldn't have been a healthy environment to raise you in. We didn't want to grow to become one of those couples who fuss and fight all the time with pent up resentment so we did what we thought was best for all of us. Rob and I reconnected after the fact. None of this was her fault."

"You're just saying that to take up for her," Jojo shook her head, on the verge of tears.

"He's telling the truth," Robyn gently defended, while keeping her eyes on the twins who were just a few feet away. "Joe loves you and would never do anything to hurt you."

"She's right," Joe agreed. "If Robyn was the real cause, Galina would never be okay with us taking you out tonight."

"I just want to go home," she replied.

The ride back to the house was quiet. When they made it, Robyn stayed in the car while he took the kids inside. It took him almost 30 minutes to reappear and she could tell whatever happened was tense. Neither said much on the drive to Orlando.

"Turn left," she directed.

"But your condo is on the other side of town," he said.

"I know but I have somewhere else in mind," she said. "Now take a right up ahead at the stop sign."

He pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complex. "Where are we going?"

"You're going back to Tampa and I'm going inside to spend the night with Trevor," she stated.

"What?!" he jerked the car into park and turned to her. "Really? After I had you spend time with me and my kids?"

"I don't know why you fooled yourself into thinking this would work. Sure, you're officially single but even with the marriage out of the way, Jojo isn't going to forgive either of us anytime soon," she said and he opened his mouth to speak but she raised a hand to silence him. "I know, I know, she'll get over it but what if she doesn't? In the long run, I can't see you staying with someone your daughter hates. You'll eventually have to make a choice: having a relationship with me or having a relationship with your daughter. We already know who you'll choose. You can always get a new girlfriend but you can't replace your daughter."

"If I were to lose you, a new girlfriend could never replace you in my heart and you know that because you're currently going through the same thing," he argued. "Look at the sham of a relationship you're forcing yourself to carry on. How has that been working out? Can't be too good if you always wind up back here with me. That's because you know this is where you belong and where you'll be a hell of a lot happier."

She sighed, shaking her head. "We have to give up this fantasy because we just left reality back in Tampa…"

"Robyn, I love my daughter but I'm not going to let a child run me. The last time I was mostly influenced by guilt and fear. If I was going to cave in, back at the house when I dropped her off would've been the time to do it but I love you too much to let you go again," he declared.

"After seeing you go through all of this trouble, I'm more than convinced that you love me. I love you too but I don't want this feeling I'll have knowing that I drove a wedge between you and your daughter," she blinked away the welling in her eyes. Joe was visibly crushed. The look on his face was like a thousand daggers piercing her heart. She unclicked her seatbelt and went for the door handle.

Ricochet opened the door shirtless and wet with a towel wrapped around his waist, his brows knitted in confusion. "Rob, what are you doing here this late. I tried calling but you didn't answer so I figured you were asleep."

"I ended up going out after all and couldn't hear the phone over all the commotion," she shrugged. "I saw your message on my way home and decided to come here instead. Is that okay?"

"Of course," he stepped aside, tilting his head when he noticed her expression. "Are you alright?"

"I am now," she smiled, knowing she had no other choice but to do right by him now.

"I left the shower running when I heard the knock so I'm going to finish," he said.

"Go ahead," she nodded, trailing behind him to the bedroom.

His phone chimed on the bedside table. It was already unlocked and open on a text thread. She glanced toward it before stopping herself. _No. _She glanced again before turning her entire back to it. Looking would be an invasion of privacy. It dinged again. One peek wouldn't hurt. She leaned over. The message was from Kacy and from the looks of it they'd been texting back and forth all night so she scrolled up to the beginning.

**Trevor: Hey. **

**Kacy: Hi! Haven't heard from you in awhile. **

**Trevor: I know. Things have been hectic but I'm settled now. Are you enjoying Halloween. **

**Kacy: Kind of. This may be inappropriate because you have a girlfriend but it would've been better if you were here. I miss you. **

**Trevor: I miss you too. **

**Kacy: How are things going with you two? I saw her at a gas station last week and idk, it was strange. **

**Trevor: We're okay and while I think she's into me, when we're alone she just feels absent like her body is there but her mind is somewhere else. **

**Kacy: Hmm, I wonder what that's about. **

**Trevor: No idea but I hope to get to the bottom of it soon. Anyway, what have I missed.? **

They went on to catch up and from the looks of it, they were clearly still into each other. She put the phone down, standing to pace back and forth through the room. She stopped to peek through the blinds, shocked to see Joe's car still sitting there in the parking lot complete was a dark shadow of his head. There was a sad pang in her heart at the sight.

She couldn't do this anymore. If Joe could have an honest conversation with his WIFE, she could have one with a guy she's only been dating a month. The shower turned off and she listened as he gargled mouthwash and exited.

"Hey, can you sit down for a minute? I think we need to talk…"

"Uh oh, what did I do?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing. As a matter of fact, you've been perfect, which is why I have to do this," she paused to sigh before continuing. "Trevor, I feel like you deserve so much more than what I'm giving you. More time. More effort. More everything. You deserve someone who is going to put you first and unfortunately I can't. If I met you a year ago, I'm sure this would've worked out differently but the way things are now, I just can't give my everything to this relationship and that's not fair to you at all. I hope you aren't mad at me."

He sat there quietly for a few moments as if he was absorbing what she'd just said. Then, he nodded with understanding. "I'm kind of disappointed but it all makes sense now and thank you for telling me the truth instead of wasting my time. I felt a growing awareness of a disconnect between us. It was very strange to be involved with someone that you don't really click with other than sexually."

"Yep," she agreed. "To be honest, even if I didn't come clean about this and carried on like normal, we probably would've had to break up eventually due to the brand split and our general awkwardness together."

"You know what, I'm going to miss you. It was good while it lasted," he leaned over to hug her which made his towel unwrap. "Uhm, how about one last round for old time sake?"

"Nice try but I have to go," she laughed.

Outside, she crept up on Joe from the passenger side, knocking on the window which brought him out of his daze.

The glass let down. "Did you forget something?"

"More like _couldn't_ forget something...you," that was so cheesy that she couldn't stop herself from smiling when she said it. He had the same problem, because a smile spread over his face as well.

"Get in here!" he replied, unlocking the doors. He pulled her close and they kissed like they'd never kissed before. Her body melted into him. She lacked any form except for the way her lips molded to his. When he matched her lock, she felt her knees grow weak and her head grew foggy. The rest of the world faded away. Everything that was not contained within the car didn't exist. The only thing in the entire world was them. It was perfect and they stayed that way for a long while. Finally, their kiss broke and she opened her eyes as she pulled away slightly. His eyes were still closed and he looked angelic, innocent. Eventually his large brown eyes fluttered open. "Not that I care because you're here now but what happened?"

"A combination of me being tired of living a lie, knowing that if I stayed with Trev I'd only be denying him something real with Kacy and finally, hating how I left things with you," she said.

"I love you so much," he replied fiercely.

"I love you more," she returned. "I'm sorry for leaving even if it was only for fifteen minutes. I was surprised to see your car still down here. Why did you stay?"

"When you left, I told myself that I wasn't leaving this parking lot without you and I meant it. If I couldn't talk any sense into you, I was going to get to him when you two came out in the morning," he cleared his throat. "_Look, I'm coming to you like a man. I'm in love with Rob and she's in love with me and I'm respectfully asking you to step aside and if you don't, it doesn't make a difference because she'll just cheat...for a third time_."

She scoffed. "The first time didn't count because he and I weren't officially a couple and the thing in the car happened so fast I couldn't think to stop it. I swear to God I would've killed you if you said that!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have come on _as _strong but he would've known what was up by the time I finished," he replied. "What about the Jojo situation? That's what made you leave in the first place. What changed your mind?"

"I won't be the first woman with a stepdaughter who hates her and I won't be the last," chuckling, she shrugged. "Besides, if we follow the pattern of movies, television and books, she'll love me by the end."

He started the car, smirking over at her. "Let's go back to your condo so we can make this thing official. Before the mask came off, you were so good with my kids that I might want to put another one in you tonight."

"Don't get carried away…" she deadpanned.


	22. Chapter 22

**I'm getting ready to rush the next 3 chapters out (this one wasn't supposed to be finished until next week). I have a project that I **_**really **_**need to get done before the end of the year and that's where my focus has to be in order to complete it so there will *probably* be another chapter tomorrow and possibly another Friday before a short break. Don't worry, I'm going to leave you with something good. :-) Then, I'll return with a XMas chapter. After that, I'll get back on track****.**

* * *

"How was the Smackdown leg of the tour?" Ricochet inquired inside of her condo early Tuesday morning. Both fresh off of their respective two week European tours.

"Great, what about Raw?"

"Looooonnnngggg," he replied.

"Same," she nodded. "They get their money's worth out of me during live event tag matches because I'm exhausted."

"Can't tell. You look amazing," he complimented. There didn't seem to be any hard feelings on his end.

"Thanks…"

"You're practically glowing. Why didn't you look like this when you were with me?" he said before catching himself when she gave him a look. "Wait, no, I don't mean you looked bad or anything. There's like a different aura about you that I can't put my finger on. Why is that?"

"I have no idea," she shrugged with a coy smile.

Trevor looked around. They stood surrounded by boxes on the floor. She'd already started packing before they all left for the tour and had been finishing up every since they arrived back Monday morning. In the mess, she'd discovered some things that he'd left behind and made a phonecall which is what brought him there Tuesday morning when he landed. "So, where are you going?"

"Tampa…"

"What's in Tampa?" he raised a brow. "And why so sudden? This is a nice setup you have here."

"I'm looking for a new beginning," she replied, which was technically true. She noticed the frown on his face. "What?"

"Orlando has a much better food scene, better laid back nightlife. Better entertainment. Tampa's downtown area is also dead after 5 PM. Our downtown scene here is more energetic, communal, and walkable compared to Tampa. Everyone bitches about traffic here but I feel Tampa traffic is much worse. I just don't get it. Seems like a downgrade to me," was his flabbergasted response.

"Oh, I didn't know all of that," Tampa probably wouldn't have been her first choice if Joe didn't have kids. The only reason he ended up there was because at the time of his signing, WWE's developmental system was still FCW, located in Tampa. That's where he settled and never left. "I guess I'll have to see for myself. I'm not letting this place go yet so if I don't like it there, I can always come back."

"This is a lot of stuff. Do you need help because I don't really have anything to do today," he offered.

"No!" she blurted quickly. "A few friends of mine will be here soon to help plus after such a looooooonnngggg tour and Raw last night you should be getting your rest."

"Well good luck with everything," he hugged her.

"Thanks," she walked him over to the door and waved behind him before closing it.

"He stayed a little too long for my liking," Roman grumbled, rounding the corner.

"Of course he did, you wanted me to put the man's stuff outside of my door in the hallway and tell him that I wasn't here…" she laughed. "I love how jealous you get when I even mention his name but if you did the right thing in the first place, he wouldn't have been in the picture at all. Anyway, that's the past and our future is much brighter so let's continue to move forward."

"Speaking of move, we should get a move on so this won't be a two day job. After that tour, I want a full day's rest tomorrow and Thursday before we head back out. I've already moved alllll of your packages to the house yesterday."

"Did you tell her I'm sorry? She sounded more and more annoyed every time she called to tell you that one arrived…" Robyn went crazy online shopping during the tour and because most of the items required signatures, she had them shipped to Galina's house. The electricity had been turned on in theirs and he'd already moved most of his stuff in before the tour.

Robyn wrapped up her packing and they moved the boxes to the Uhaul that he drove and she followed in her car. After about four hours of unpacking and situating things, she was done for the most part. The furniture setup in the living room was impressive, however, the walls looked too naked for her liking but they'd have to remain that way for awhile until she had time to look around at more decor.

"Does it feel like home to you yet?" she asked Joe as he stood adding his WWE championships and various athletic thropries from his younger days to a glass display case in the corner.

It's different and it's definitely going to take some getting used to," he answered honestly, echoing her thoughts. "But they say home is where the heart is and you're here. I'm hungry."

"Me too," she walked over to the refrigerator and opened it before slamming it shut. "Uh oh."

"What?" he came over and looked inside to find it empty. "I thought I bought you a cooler because you said you wanted to transfer the food from the condo here."

"Uhm, you see, I was getting ready to do it but then Trevor called to let me know he was out there and we started talking and of course when he left you distracted me and then we began taking stuff down to the UHaul. Long story short, I forgot."

"That's alright. I guess we'll order something."

"Shouldn't our first meal at home be, I don't know...home cooked? They say it's bad luck to order out during the initial move in."

He tilted his head. "Who said that?"

"_They_."

"You just made that up, didn't you?"

"Yep," she admitted. "So can I text you a grocery list or what?"

"Me?!"

"I don't know anything about Tampa," she replied.

"You travel for a living to places you don't know anything about 4 times a week and more importantly, a Walmart is a Walmart no matter where you are, but since you did the majority of the arranging and will probably do most of the cooking, I'll go ahead and go."

While she was typing a list, an idea popped into her head. "Do you want to invite your family over for dinner? We turned their house into a storage unit while we were away, the least we could do is invite them over to see the almost finished product. Plus, it'll show Jojo that you were serious about always being in their lives even though you and Galina aren't together."

He thought about it for a second before nodding his approval. "I'll call G on my way back."

Two hours later, she had several different pots and pans on the stove and a few in the oven. She didn't know what to cook and children are picky eaters so she made it all.

The doorbell rang and when he answered the door, Galina entered first. "We were supposed to come awhile ago but I wanted Jojo to finish her homework because I don't know how long we'll be staying and if we get home late, she'll be too sleepy to do it."

"That's alright. I'm not quite finished yet anyway," Robyn said.

"Here," Jojo shoved a boxed blender at her.

"Thank you," Robyn took it.

"Hey Elena," one twin greeted as he walked in and she remembered that she introduced to them as a character Halloween night.

"Actually, it's Robyn," she corrected.

"Hey Elena," the other twin greeted as he dragged behind.

"It's..._nevermind_, hi!"

Robyn saw Galina's eyes wandering, silently judging the house. She never commented but Robyn could read her expression. She didn't like the flooring in the living room, she wasn't crazy about the sofa set and she turned her nose up at the dining room table. It was alright if Galina didn't like it. Galina's home was more modern and homey. Robyn was younger and you could tell by her trendy decor. They were two different women with two different styles and Joe probably preferred it that way.

She turned on the TV for the kids to give them something to do while she set the table. When she returned to the kitchen, Joe and Galina were standing over the stove.

"What goes on in here is between me and Robyn," he whispered, not aware of her presence yet.

"Well as the mother of your children I'm just trying to help you out," she hissed. "Robyn doesn't know therefore you'll try to get over on her because of it."

"I don't know what?" she asked, curiously.

"That with the medication he's on, he's not supposed to have 75% of this but he'll still try to sneak and eat it even though it messes with his digestive system," Galina replied.

"What isn't he supposed to have so I can know for future reference?"

"For starters little to no shellfish, not much protein and…" she paused to think. "You know what, I'll write it all down before I leave. Make sure he doesn't get it on the road either because that's the only place I couldn't monitor his eating habits."

He rolled his eyes. "I thought we bypassed that whole ex-wife makes ex-husband's life miserable phase."

"Would you rather be miserable or healthy?" Galina countered.

"Well let me gather the 25% that he can eat and we can all sit down," Robyn said.

Dinner was awkward. Robyn didn't know how to interact with him in front of his family. It was weird to show affection toward a man in front of his still-wife and doing so would only upset Jojo and confuse the twins who didn't understand what was going on yet. So she sat quietly for the most part while Joe did the talking.

"Joelle, how was school?" he asked.

"Fine. I got an A in math," she replied.

"Really? That's great!" he exclaimed.

"I was really good in math too when I was your age," Robyn added and saw a slight eye roll from Jojo.

Afterwards, she gave them a tour of the rest of the house. The boys were sharing a room with two beds, at least until they were old enough to want their own space. Joe was trying his hardest to make them focus on what she was showing them as she eagerly gesturing toward areas of the room like a Price is Right model.

"Yeah, they don't care," she chuckled.

"Jojo, this is yours. It's not finished yet but it's a start…" he said, flicking the light on in the room across the hall.

Jojo gasped as she stepped inside. "I love it!"

"Robyn decorated it," he informed. It was easy, all she had to do was look at room ideas for preteens on Pinterest and go from there.

"Oh…" she sounded suddenly unenthused.

"What do you say, Joelle?" Galina pressed.

"Thank you, Robyn," Jojo bit out.

"You're welcome," Robyn said as she led them back downstairs. They said their goodbyes and they waved as the car backed out of the driveway. "Well, we survived that."

"Yes, now close the door. We have to christen this place and I'm trying to fuck in every room!" he smirked.

She raised a brow. "I hope not _every _room."

"Excluding the kid's rooms of course," he clarified. "But every other room including every piece of furniture is fair game starting with the dining room table."

Her heart pounded with fresh, erotic excitement, as she became anxious to celebrate their new home.

He pulled her shirt over her head and unbuttoned her jeans and she did the rest by pushing them down and kicking out of them. "Now turn around."

She couldn't see but she heard him rumbling through the cabinets, plates clattering and then he went over to the refrigerator. "You better not be trying to sneak food literally behind my back."

"The only food I'm trying to sneak is you. I'm ready," he gave her the signal to turn and she found him sitting in his chair at the head of the table with an empty silver platter in front of him.

"Really?" she asked but didn't object as she sat on top of the metal and reclined on the wood surface of the table with her legs spread wide. It was at that moment that she realized they didn't have a centerpiece, well, besides her now.

The first cold touch to her clit made her body tense and she gasped. Sitting up on her elbows, she saw an ice cube between his lips. The freezing was almost painful at first but pain soon gave way to unbearable pleasure. The contrast between the heat of his mouth and the chill of the ice was amazing. Robyn screamed as she crashed over the edge into one of the most incredible orgasms she'd ever experienced.

He pushed the remaining piece of ice inside of her with his tongue. It melted instantly. The next thing she felt was his warm, stiff rod entering as he stood in front of her. She could feel him tremble slightly, sensations obviously overpowering him, too, as he slowly withdrew almost to the tip before sliding just a little deeper each time. There was silence except for their breathing and her slight moans, her breath coming in short pants as his thickness overwhelmed and excited her as he slides in and out.

"Fuck!" he cursed quietly to himself. He grabbed onto her hips and plunged into her more forcefully, in long, deep strokes that ensure that she feels every bit of him. She knew she wasn't going to last much longer as her hands balled into fists. She could feel his body tense as he paused while buried, her breathing becoming more shallow. Circling her legs around his butt, she pulled him in deeper as she felt her body start the first ripple of orgasm. That sensation around him and the sight of her writhing on the table set him off and their cries combined.

"Where to next?" he asked, picking her up on his body while still impaled.

"Don't tell me we're going to do the entire house in one night?"

"I doubt it but we're going to do as many rooms as we can until I'm shooting nothing but dust."

* * *

"And we're here," she announced, turning into the parking lot of the arena.

"I see…"

Finding a spot that appeared to have empty cars surrounding it, she backed in.

"You ready?" he asked, unclicking his seatbelt.

"You go ahead…" she answered and he looked at her with a question on his face so she beat him to the punch and tried to explain. "It hasn't been a month since your divorce was announced and it's only been three weeks since me and Ricochet split. I don't want it to look like there was any overlap on my end and an affair on yours. '_Oh, they both broke up with their significant others around the same time and now they're together this quick. Hmm._' It's just a respect thing."

"He doesn't care about being respectful because according to you, he was back with Kacy in less than a week."

"Resuming a relationship is different from starting one. New relationships have to take time to build so yeah, let's try to put a convincing gap between the events."

"Here we go with this shit again," he sighed.

"I know but please bear with me. I promise I'll make it up to you later," she pouted.

"You know I'm going to hold you to that."

"I hope so," she giggled. "I'll see you on the inside."

"Alright," he got out and she popped the trunk so he could unload his bags.

**Daria: Do you have something to tell us?**

**Rob: Huh?**

**Daria: On your left. **

She looked to her left and saw nothing until the dark tinted window next to her slowly rolled down, revealing a blonde and a brunette.

"Shit!" she cursed before letting hers down. "Hey."

"Don't hey us. We asked you a question," Mandy replied. "What are you doing with Joe?"

She debated for a second whether she should play dumb or confess; dumb won. "I moved to Tampa this week which is where he lives. He and I were on the same flight out here and once we landed we decided to share a rental because we're basically on the same schedule anyway: arrive to whatever town, children's hospital, gym, hotel check in, and then to the arena. It's just convenient."

"You locked in a car with him for long hours driving from town to town? Future Mrs. Reigns incoming?" Sonya teased.

"They'd look cute together but I feel like he knows her better than anyone on the roster with all the time they spend together so if he was into her it probably would've happened by now," Mandy concluded and Robyn rolled her eyes behind the sunglasses she wore. "He's either waiting on her to make the first move or not interested."

"You never know," she said with a tight smile before pushing the door open. "Anyway, there's some kids waiting on me inside so I have to get a move on."

She was annoyed by the interaction but the kids always managed to put a smile on her face. Then she became annoyed again with how touchy Joe was with her during the meet and greet.

"Is she your girlfriend?" a little boy asked after they'd taken a picture with him.

"Yes," he nodded and Robyn's head snapped.

"Why did you tell him?"

"He's 6. What's he going to do? Post about it on Twitter? Create a Reddit profile? No. Calm down," he wrapped his strong arm around her neck to pull her close.

"You are getting way too comfortable."

"With good reason. The only thing you're worried about is the public's reaction and if the comments on that photo you posted is a reflection of what's to come, we'll be alright."

"I wouldn't think anyone would write negativity on a post of us surrounded by pediatric cancer patients! They also aren't aware that we're dating. Let's wait until we confirm things first before judging the reaction," she told him. "What are you doing tonight? It's the go home show to Survivor Series so I expect shit to hit the fan."

"I can't believe they didn't add you to Team Smackdown," he shook his head.

"Apparently there's a reason for that," she shrugged. "At least that's what Creative says."

"They aren't about to turn you are they?"

"No. Sasha, Bayley, Mandy, Sonya and Lacey already outnumber the faces on the roster. Plus I can't start calling everyone a bitch and beating people down with chairs only to walk into a children's hospital the next day like it's nothing. The parents would throw a fit."

"Yeah, you don't see many heels on assignment at the hospitals or getting Make a Wish requests," he replied. "I gotta get to the locker room and change though because I have an interview with Kayla at the start of the show."

They went their separate ways, he to the men's locker room and she to the women's.

"We heard about the move," Bayley said when she entered. Her eyes snapped to Mandy and Sonya. _This _is why she didn't tell them the truth. "When are you going to throw a housewarming party?"

"Uh…." she trailed off, thinking about the trophy case on display for all to be seen once you enter the house, the Georgia Tech memorabilia he had scattered around and pictures of them both hung. It'd be too much work to hide it all. Even if she did go through the trouble, they'd want to see the master bedroom and all it would take is one person to open the closet door to discover vests, black cargo pants and his wrestling boots sectioned off from her own ring gear. They'd also wonder how she'd be able to afford such a big house on a main roster salary of just one year. "It's not nearly ready to be shown off yet and I want to get settled first but after that, you're all welcome to visit."

The show started and she watched the screen where Kayla made eyes at him, fluttering her lashes at him as he spoke.

"Oh!" Dana exclaimed as if she remembered something. "I was in catering earlier and he could not keep his eyes off of me. Guess he liked what he saw."

"If he didn't make a move then it doesn't matter," Mandy retorted. "He flirted with me when we crossed paths today."

"So I guess he's going to be one of those divorced guys who decide to become a player after being with the same woman for so long," Dana replied.

At this point, Robyn had had enough. "I'm about to go see what desserts are left in catering. Anyone want anything?"

"No, we're good…"

The segment was long over but Kayla still had him cornered. Robyn sighed. He noticed her and ended the conversation, walking off before glancing over his shoulder so that she knew to follow.

Kayla on the other hand was walking in her direction, looking giddy. "I'm obsessed with him now!"

"You aren't the only one apparently…" she continued the path that he set. He looked back to make sure she was there before entering a room. She walked in and slammed the door behind her. "I will be so happy when we can come out as a couple so I won't have to listen to the soap opera storylines that you have going on with each girl."

"What did I do today?" he was used to these reports by now.

"Let's see, you stared at Dana in catering…"

"She was deliberately standing in my line of vision," he replied. "What else?

"You flirted with Mandy…"

"I didn't even see Mandy today. I came in when we arrived, dropped my bags off, stopped to go over the script for tonight's show with a producer, went to catering and then met up with you before going back to the locker room, doing my interview and meeting up with you again now," he said and it all lined up.

"Wow," she shook her head. "Look, I know you aren't going anywhere but it still makes me feel weird and slightly insecure knowing that all of these women are throwing themselves at you. You kind of settled for the first relationship you entered after the initial separation. Most men play the field for awhile before getting serious. Meanwhile, we've already moved in together. What if we jumped the gun? What if you decide in a few months that you want to try something new?"

"Really, Rob? I'm insulted that you'd think that at this point. I didn't settle. There was nothing forcing me to be with you the first time and nothing forcing me to come back the second. After my divorce was announced and you turned me down, I could've easily went out and found someone else but I didn't want anyone else. I'm here willingly and happily because I love you. To even question that means you don't see yourself the way I do. Robyn, you're brave, selfless, intelligent, kind and a survivor. You opened your life up to me and then took me back when you didn't have to after I broke your heart. I can't imagine a woman I would rather be with or want beside me at night than you."

"I love you," her lips covered his, their kiss growing more intense as his arms slid around her back, pulling her into him, hands resting on the top of her ass. She broke the kiss, nibbled on his lip and dragged her lips along his jaw and up to his ear.

"Damn, now you got me hard and I go out in 15 minutes," he commented, squeezing the bulge in his pants.

"15 minutes? I can fix that with time to spare," slowly, she sank down to her knees and unzipped his pants, jerking them down to his thighs. It was already stiff, and clear, sticky pre-cum was oozing out, and she knew that he was already ready. She licked the head, then sucked it, then took it into her mouth. As she did, he moaned and stroked her hair. She could feel it grow harder in her mouth. It wasn't long before he uttered an incoherent warning but she never stopped her actions, allowing him to spill his release down her throat.

"Told you. I don't even think that was 5," she pulled his briefs and pants back up, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and stood, smirking at him.

"I'll have to use the other ten to get my footing back. You literally sucked the energy out of me," he blew a sharp breath. "But seriously, I need to get to gorilla. The script changes every five seconds and I don't want to miss anything."

He opened the door and looked out and waved for her to exit which meant the coast was clear. They both walked out and jumped when they saw Sasha walking down the hall on the other side that was obstructed by the open door. She slowed down and scoffed. .

"Why am I the one to always catch you two?" she stepped around them."Next time look both ways. Oh, and Joe, zip your pants. Robyn, hurry up and claim your man because the other girls sure don't have a problem claiming him for you."


	23. Chapter 23

**Him: Who told you to wear that dress? **

**Rob: You did when you bought it. Like? If so, you'll LOVE what I have underneath.. **

He turned around at the hotel bar and glanced over.

She slowly spread her legs apart. It was dark so he wouldn't be able to see anything but the implication was enough.

**Him: Let's go! **

**Rob: Lol, you first and I'll follow in about 5 minutes later or vice versa. **

**Him: Fuck that. Now!**

With a sigh, Robyn stood as he made his way to the exit and trailed a safe distance behind. There were only a few people left anyway so it didn't matter. When they stepped onto the elevator, he seemed like he wanted to approach but she looked above their heads and saw the security cam and nodded toward it. The last thing they needed was some security guard sending the video to TMZ for cash.

As soon as they entered the room, he pulled the dress straps down her shoulders, thrust one hand between her legs and hoisted her against the back of the door. Robyn wrapped her arms around his head while he sucked mouthfuls of her breasts. He pulled her underwear down to expose her dewy lips which led to a night of unbelievable passion and debauchery.

The next morning, Robyn's phone vibrated under her pillow. She'd set her alarm earlier than Joe's so his body remained still, slowly rising and falling. After showering and doing her bathroom routine, she moved back to the bed and browsed her Instagram notifications. There was one particular mention that stood out: _I don't know if I buy it. I'll tag some of the wrestlers who you claimed were there to see if any of them can confirm this. I doubt they will but hey, it's worth a shot…. _

She didn't hesitate to click the post.

**LavaGirlXXX98: **So I hooked up with Roman Reigns last night. WWE was in town for SDLive and the wrestlers were staying at my hotel and what do you know? They all came to the bar after the show. The girls: Carmella, Mandy, Sonya, Dana, Robyn. The men: Corey, Braun, Big E., Kofi, Cesaro, Corbin and others but this is about Roman, well, Joe. Here's a picture I took of him from behind standing at the bar. Afterwards, I walked over, told him I was a fan, we chatted for a while and then he invited me up to his room where I met him later. I couldn't take pictures there for obvious reasons. Best four hours of my life. We- (she stopped reading here, not able to make it through the explicit details of the alleged encounter that sounded like something you'd find on the pages of an erotic novel. There were about 250 comments, some believing it, some not, some skeptical.)

**username1: **I'm so jealous.

**username2: **Hot!

**username3: **I guess you don't plan on having a second date because there's no way he'll have anything to do with you again after you put him on blast.

**username4: **Some of y'all are gullible af. Do you really think Roman Reigns is out here messing with random chicks he met at the bar. I'm sure he'd be more discreet than that.

**username5: username4, **he's divorcing, he doesn't have to be discreet when there's no one waiting for him at home.

**Username6: **I don't buy it.

Robyn clicked on the person's profile. She only had 2 posts and was only following one person, Roman. She clicked on the picture of the profile owner.

**LavaGirlXXX98: **About last night. No wonder he couldn't help himself.

She was wearing a black dress with a slim hourglass figure and had dark brunette hair. The picture was cropped from the lips down. She knew this encounter never happened but she stared at the picture trying to figure out if this girl was even there. The more she analyzed, the more it became clear that she knew exactly who this person was.

"Kylie!" obviously the profile owner was a liar so surely she wasn't above stealing pictures to catfish with.

"Who?" Joe asked, not bothering to stifle the yawn that followed.

"Jenner. Apparently after I went to sleep, you snuck her in here and gave her the best four hours of her life."

His face scrunched with confusion. "Maybe it's because I just woke up but I'm lost and I don't know what the hell is going on."

"See for yourself," she clicked on the other post and handed her phone to him.

He skimmed before chuckling. "That's funny."

"No it's not, like at all…."

"Yes it is, the sheer ridiculousness of it. Who's going to believe that?" he questioned.

"You'd be surprised. Just scroll down to the comments," she instructed and he did.

He shook his head as he went along. "I can't believe a simple shot of me from the back is enough proof to validate this crap."

"That's more proof than all the other groupies have ever provided with their delusional tales over the years. This picture put you two in the same place in an outside setting late at night. Plus, you're 'single' now which makes it plausible," she explained.

"What do you think I should do? Comment?" he reached over for his own phone.

"No, right now it's contained in this post and in the fangirl bubble on Twitter. Acknowledging it directly would only bring more attention to it which is what she wants, I'm sure," Robyn rolled her eyes.

"Alright, but I still want to get on Twitter real quick," and he did. After strolling for a minute, he read a post aloud. "_Oh, it's that easy, huh? Here's a picture I took of Elias from behind in line at McDonald's a year ago. Afterwards, I walked over, told him I was a fan, chatted for a while and then he invited me to the bathroom for a quickie. I couldn't take a picture there for obvious reasons. Best 4 minutes of my life._"

She found more photos from behind of wrestlers and doubled over in laughter at the captions. "So your fans are basically turning it into a meme and I don't think anyone is taking it seriously anymore. That's a good sign."

"Can I like a few of these? It'll be indirectly acknowledging it but my way of calling bullshit on it," he asked.

"I guess that's alright."

"This shit is only going to get worse. Other girls are probably witnessing the attention that this one is getting and will be posting something next claiming to have fucked me. Can we come out already?" he groaned.

"You don't know how bad I want to…"

"But when?" he asked, sitting up. "What we're doing now was fine the first time around because I was still playing the married role but now that that's over, I'm tired. I'm tired of going to work with you everyday and having to hear other men talk about how hot you are knowing you're mine and I can't do anything about it. I'm tired of seeing couples walk in the arena together, going up to each other after their matches, eating together in catering, holding hands, kissing. They get to be themselves, we don't."

"I know. I hate this too. The rumors, the girls in the back constantly trying to snatch you up. Just give me a few more weeks and I promise we can start dropping hints. Maybe you can like my selfies that'll _conveniently_ show cleavage, your hand can move from my shoulder to my waist in our hospital photo-ops and we can go out somewhere together one night to be 'caught' by fans who'll no doubt take pictures."

"Fine, whatever, just come shower with me," he said.

"I would but I walked out of there like five minutes before you woke up," she replied.

"Suit yourself," he threw the sheets off of his body and stood to reveal morning wood tenting his briefs.

"On second thought, a person can never be _too_ clean," she followed.

Later in the parking lot of the arena for Saturday's live event, he leaned in for a kiss but she pulled back. "Tinted windows are all around us. That's how we were spotted by Fire & Desire last week."

"Aren't those your friends. Why didn't you just tell them the truth?" he asked.

"I don't know. Right now I feel like this is ours, only ours. The moment we come out as a couple, it won't belong to just us anymore and once it's out there, we can't take it back."

"Even then, it'll still be just us at the end of the day..." he reached for the door handle.

"I'm sorry, just a little while longer, okay?" she said and he grumbled something under his breath before getting out.

"..._and then he looked me in the eyes and said, 'are you ready for me to fuck that pussy, babygirl?_" Dana was in the middle of reading from her phone when Robyn entered the locker room. The others sat around listening intently. She cringed knowing exactly where those words came from.

She tried to ignore it but she couldn't take it anymore. "Wait, y'all actually believe this?"

"No, but it's still juicy to hear," Lacey replied.

"Just download a romance novel on Kindle Unlimited or better yet, browse a fanfic site," Robyn snorted and could feel Sasha glaring at her.

"I don't know what to believe. I'd like to think he wouldn't be this stupid but with men, you never know," Alexa shrugged.

"Where was I?" Dana cleared her throat. "_I didn't know how much time had passed and I didn't care as we moved against each other, changed positions and-_"

"Stop!" Robyn took a deep breath. "None of that is true so it's a waste of time to even entertain it. I thought we were above gossiping like fans when we're actually on the inside but I guess not because here we are. Joe and I left the bar at the same time and there wasn't a girl anywhere near him. Oh, and that's Kylie Jenner's picture by the way."

"According to the tale, she met him in his room later, not left with him," Bayley corrected.

"That didn't happen either because..._I _was in his room. Joe didn't leave and he damn sure didn't bring in a third party," she revealed, feeling better already now that it was off of her chest. The expressions around the room ranged from shock to confusion.

"In his room doing what?" Sonya asked.

"What that girl fantasized about doing but less dramatic," she replied and that's when the squealing began. Everyone was talking to her all at once and she couldn't understand any of it. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "Oh God, what did I do?"

"I _knew_ you two would end up together," Carmella said. "I told Corey and you can ask him if you don't believe me."

"I should've known something was up a few months ago when we visited your condo and he was there," Mandy blurted and her mouth immediately snapped shut, realizing that she'd said too much.

"Months ago?" Lacey raised a brow. "He hasn't been single for that long. It may be just a month by now."

"Joe and his wife, well soon to be ex-wife, were separated last year. They were going to divorce but then his leukemia came back and they held off. Then, he went into remission and returned and that's when we met. They were still separated but it wouldn't look right for him to divorce right after such a pivotal moment in his life so they decided to keep up appearances while we dated on the low," she explained.

"I can confirm that," Sasha spoke up.

"So what were you crying about in the locker room that day?" Bayley asked.

"Oh and he was the boyfriend that you could never name back when we thought you were in the closet," Sonya followed up in question.

"Joe decided to go back to make things work for the kids and that's where that came from, Bayley and yes, Sonya, that was him. I've told a lot of lies to cover my ass during this thing," she chuckled. "Also, Mandy, that was just a friendly house visit because I was still mad at him during that time. We didn't get back together until after his divorce was announced."

"When were you going to say something or were you going to keep it a secret forever," Kayla inquired. "We've been in here lusting after this man for weeks while you sat there listening knowing you had him on lock."

"Imagine how tired I was of hearing it," she laughed. "We were going to come out when enough time passed between his divorce and my breakup. If we came out too quick there'd be all types of rumors and accusations, especially after we've spent nearly a year working closely together."

"Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are equally jealous of and happy for you," Dana said.

"Oh, and the only reason I came out is because I had to shut down the groupie tale and because I was tired of the 'let's see who can get him first' game you guys were playing. All I'm asking is for this to be kept quiet for a little while longer until we're ready to confirm things ourselves," she requested and they agreed.

She waited in gorilla as Roman finished his match. When he ducked through the curtain, she was there and ready to pull his face down to hers. His body was stiff with surprise at first before relaxing. When they separated, she went on to tell him about what transpired in the locker room. "...so basically, I don't care if our peers know but I'm not ready to go _public _public yet. This is a start."

"You know there's a leak back here somewhere so that choice may not be yours to make," he warned.

"I know but that's where you come in as a locker room leader because the leak isn't in the women's locker room and I've already told them to keep quiet about it. You need to look around your own."

"Nah, if a leak was in my locker room we would've smoked them out a long time ago. We protect each other's personal lives in there. I suspect the culprit is backstage staff member," he replied.

"Well, as long as we aren't dry humping against the walls, there'll be nothing to report. I guess we can consider this a hiding in plain sight thing," she said.

"At least we're making progress though. What just happened back there in gorilla was all I was asking for this morning. I want to feel like you're mine beyond four walls and the shadows," he tilted his head. "We're having a moment and you're on your phone?"

"I'm finally changing your contact from Him to Joe!" she had a big grin on her face and was brimming with excitement.


	24. Chapter 24

"Okay, smile," Rob said, holding the phone above their heads to take a selfie.

**RobWWE: **It's Friday. You know what that means. Just touched down. After making some hospital rounds with this guy, it'll be time for #SmackdownOnFOX. Tune in, you may actually see me tonight. Oh yeah, I'm entering the Royal Rumble.

In the ring, Rob showed off a more aggressive style as she made easy work of Sonya.

Kayla was there to meet her ringside with a mic in hand. "Robyn, this is the first time we've seen you in awhile. The WWE Universe is curious about what you've been up to."

"What I've been up to? That would be watching the progress of the people I came up with. Ricochet became the United States Champion. Aleister Black had numerous tag team title shots. Lacey had two championship opportunities, main evented Extreme Rules and was apart of the first ever women's match in Saudi Arabia. Nikki Cross has a tag team title run and is currently the number one contender to the Smackdown Women's Championship. Now ask me what I've done?"

"What have you done?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," she replied.

"That's not factually correct. You won the Women's Battle Royal at Wrestlemania," Kayla corrected.

"Thanks for reminding me because I forgot about that, just like I'm sure everyone else has," Robyn snorted.

"On an Instagram post earlier today, you announced that you were entering the Royal Rumble. You're the first man or woman to do so. We're only 6 days into December and the Rumble doesn't take place until January 26. Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself?"

"No, Kayla, it's my last resort. Not only am I the first to announce, I'm claiming entry number 1 because I'm going to be the first woman to walk in and the last to walk out. I think I can take it from here," she said, before grabbing the mic herself. "I've gotten no opportunities which is funny because I am the hardest working woman in this company. Week in and week out, I fly into town and I go from hospital to hospital making a difference, changing lives, you know, stuff that actually matters in the _real_ world meanwhile my counterparts are relaxing in their hotel rooms, eating, at the gym, visiting tanning salons or filming scenes for Total Divas. I give my all and emotionally drain myself in order to put smiles on children's faces only to come to the arena and watch the show from catering. I've never gotten a thank you from management, I haven't gotten a title shot, hell, I wasn't chosen for Team Smackdown even though I've been on the blue brand longer than Sasha, Dana and Lacey. Make no mistake, I'm not asking Vince to kiss me on the forehead and give me a gold star but I work my ass off for nothing in return, so if I can't willingly receive an opportunity, I'll take it. And I know people come out here all the time and talk about they deserve this because of that or they've been here for x number of years and they want such and such. For me, it's bigger than that, it's personal. Every time a child asks me during a visit, '_when are you going to be on TV_, _Robyn_,' I die a little inside when I look them in the eyes and I answer '_soon_' knowing that it's bullsh...uh..._crap," _she turned to speak directly into the camera_. "_Well kids, as you can see, soon is _now _and I'm never lying to you again so believe me when I say that I'm going to WrestleMania."

She handed the mic back to Kayla and walked down the ramp to a standing ovation. It was the first time she felt as if she was genuinely cheered instead of the pity claps that she usually received.

* * *

**Joe: I just sent a pic of the menu, what do you want? **

**Rob: The stuffed grilled catfish with shrimp pasta sounds delicious. **

**Joe: Just ordered. 30 minute wait. **

**Rob: I'm sorry. **

**Joe: You know I don't mind. My order is included in that time. **

**Rob: It better be something you're supposed to have or else I'll tell Galina. **

**Joe: Can you two be normal and not like each other like other ex-wives and new girlfriends? **

He asked her on the ride to the hotel if she was hungry but she said no. It wasn't until they were in and getting settled that her stomach started growling and he took it upon himself to go out into the gruelling cold. Now she was bored and alone.

**RobWWE: **Okay, every time I post a pic with little to no makeup, I get asked about my skincare regimen so I'm about to go live and show you guys my nighttime routine while I answer some questions about tonight because judging by my notifications blowing up, there's a lot. #AskRobyn

She started the video and leaned the phone up against the mirror in the bathroom. 80, 120, 200, 450, 600, 800, 1000 just in the first minute and the numbers were continuing to climb which showed her that the promo was effective and garnered interest in her now. The questions were rolling in.

_Are you a heel now?_

"No, faces can add edge to their characters without becoming a bad guy," she answered.

_That was one of the best promos of the year. Was it yours or written for you?_

"Thank you. Those were my words which is why I delivered them with such passion," that was true. She was given the green light earlier that day to say whatever she wanted.

_Are you single?_

"No, I have a boyfriend…"

_Is he in the company? What happened with you and Ricochet? Y'all were cute. _

"Okay, that's my fault for answering something off topic. We're talking about wrestling and skin here," she stated, patting her wet face dry with a towel.

_The title needs to be on you at Mania. I'm sold._

"Agreed," she winked before showing off a product label to the camera.

_If there are no title changes between now and then, who would you rather face, Becky or Bayley because the winner can pick either._

"A few months ago it would've definitely been Becky, no question but I wouldn't mind challenging the new Bayley to show her what a _real_ role model looks like. I don't know, it'll probably come down to me putting both names in a hat and grabbing one."

_What does that rolling thing do?_

"It releases bad bacteria, toxins, reduces acne and it-" she stopped mid-sentence when the bathroom door swung open. She froze in terror and couldn't move, speak or react when he came into frame behind her. The live was flooded with surprised emojis.

His arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed the area behind her ear. "You talking to yourself in here?"

She was wearing a towel wrapped around her body because she was fresh out of the shower and his hand reached for it and she knew if he got there, he'd jerk it down. She quickly snatched her phone and ended the live. She began freaking out, hyperventilating and shaking. If her hands weren't braced on the counter, she probably would've collapsed.

"Rob, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I wasn't talking to myself, Joe! I was live with over 10 thousand views when you walked in," she panicked, thinking about how many were screen recording just in case she said something interesting. One thing is for sure, they got far more than what they were expecting.

"Oh…"

"_Oh_? That's all you have to say? A few seconds more and you would've flashed my tits to the world!" she snapped. "Why didn't you knock first? I could've been in here on the toilet for all you knew. At least if I had a warning I would've been able to stop the live before the door even opened."

"Are you mad at me?" he asked and her expression softened.

"Of course not. You weren't aware of what was going on. I'm just frustrated because that's not how I wanted this to come out. We went from 0 to full-on PDA. There we were worried about backstage leaks and we gave it away ourselves," she laughed, bitterly.

"I got the food and it was fresh out of the kitchen so let's forget about this right now and eat before it gets cold," he got behind her and lightly pushed her out of the bathroom while she dragged her feet.

She dipped a spoonful of pasta but before it could make it to her open mouth, she put it back down. "I can't eat."

"Rob!" he sighed. "They were going to find out eventually, maybe not like that but they would've. We work together, we ride together, it wouldn't have been that hard to put 2 and 2 together. There were already comments speculating on that selfie you posted of us this morning."

"Fans finding out isn't even what's bothering me right now. It's much deeper than that..."

"Then what is?"

"After being on the roster for a year, I barely show up on TV. Tonight I cut the biggest promo of my career and boom, the face of the company who has backstage pull appears in my hotel room. This push was promised to me when I was still with Trevor but of course the public isn't aware of this fact so you know what they'll assume," she said. "That promo alone would've been enough to keep my name circulating until next week's show. Now me fucking Roman Reigns is going to overshadow it and dominate social media and tomorrow's dirtsheet cycle."

This was the first time since it happened that he looked genuinely worried and slightly regretful. "I didn't even think about that. I am so sorry, Rob."

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to wait. It would've looked so much better if I'd established myself in the division before we came out. Now anything I get they'll say it's because I'm dating you. Imagine what'll be said if I actually win the Rumble, go on to Mania and win the title," she shivered at the thought. "I hate this FOX move! At least with Raw and then Smackdown on Tuesdays, TV was the end of the work week and we went home the next day. We're just getting started with shows tomorrow and Sunday."

"Which is why you need to _eat_..." he emphasized by bringing the spoon back to her mouth. She opened and moaned at the taste as she chewed, "...and leave this alone for now. What is starving yourself and worrying going to do to help the situation?"

"You're right," she sighed, digging into the rest of her food only to be interrupted by the ding of a text 5 minutes later.

**Trevor: Just for clarification purposes, were you not ready for a relationship with me or in general but made an exception for Joe since he's higher on the card? **

"Listen to this," she repeated the message aloud. "And I don't have the energy to explain that you were separated and the actual reason why I couldn't commit. Even then, he'll feel like a placeholder and will still be mad at me."

"You don't have to explain shit to him. If he wants to be bitter, let him. And he has a girl so why is he worried about what you have going on? I don't know what you saw in him anyway. He's short, he's bald and apparently he's sensitive judging by that message!"

"Joe, calm down!" she exclaimed, not mad because he gave her a well needed laugh.

On a sidenote, if Trevor knew, that meant the video and news was making its rounds so she grabbed her phone and began browsing. She went to Instagram and the comment section on their selfie was in shambles.

**username1: **Guess she's about to get that Nikki Bella push.

**username2: **They were probably sleeping together the whole time. I bet that's why he's divorcing. Homewrecker!

**username3: **Poor Galina. Imagine being with him when he was fat in college, staying when him when has broke after not being drafted to the NFL, having his babies and standing by him twice during his leukemia battles only for him to leave you for someone new. What a slap to the face. She's better than me because I would've taken his ass to the cleaners in the divorce.

**username4: **I'm a fan of ROMAN, the wrestler. I'm not caught up with JOE's personal life so who he's with doesn't matter. As long as he's happy (which he appeared to be in those few seconds we saw), I'm happy.

**username5: **In the words of AJ Lee, "talent is not sexually transmitted."

**username6: **She's not even all that. He could do better.

**username7: **What if this is fake to bring on a storyline of them, two cancer patients teaming up? Think about it, she just cut a promo about what they do during the day. Then she goes live the same night and he "conveniently" walks in? This is totally a work. They never put him in angles with women before because he was married and now he's not.

**username8: **There's probably traces of Ricochet's DNA still inside of her and she's already with Roman.

**username9: **Oh look, a bunch of girls crying and mad at Robyn as if they had a chance with him. Boohoo. Your real fans are here for you, Rob. Don't let the fanbitches get you down. I've always shipped you two btw.

**username10 **I knew what was up when she posted this selfie. Both of them look smug as if they knew something we didn't. Oh well, Galina had him during his peak. Enjoy those leftovers.

**username11: **Roman, I've seen what you've done for Robyn's career, sleep with my fav (Liv) next and help her get out of catering too.

**username12: **Aww, Roman found a female dog: a BITCH!

**username13: **These are 2 single adults and if they want to date it's none of our business. Leave them alone and stay in a fan's place.

She turned off the comments on that post but they went to the next one and she found herself going back through the last 30 posts to lock them down. If they went any further down than that, fuck it.

Next she ventured to Twitter where the terms: Roman Reigns, Robyn and Robman were trending. Instagram was mostly women but slut shaming men filled her Twitter mentions. Men who were probably heartbroken because it wasn't them or because they still hated Roman and now her by association.

Funny enough she clicked on one guy's profile to find that he'd just complimented her before the live and quickly turned on her:

**TwitterUser1: **Every future star has that one big promo before they take off. Austin 3:16, CM Punk's Pipebomb, Becky's The Man. This might be Robyn's. 'Hardest working woman' is definitely going to stick.

**TwitterUser1: **Wow, when she said the hardest working woman in the company, I guess she meant on her back or down on her knees. I thought the days of fucking for pushes were over but obviously not. Disgusting.

"What are you doing," Joe looked over her shoulder at the screen.

"I have no words right now…"

"Give me this," he took the phone from her and began pressing buttons. "I don't know why you're torturing yourself by reading this crap. You know how some fans are and you know what's waiting on you when you check it. But don't worry, I fixed it."

"What did you do?"

"Changed the passwords on both accounts and then logged you out so you can't get back in there. Let them talk to themselves now. This generation is too attached to social media anyway. I get on to say what I have to say or promote what I have to promote and then I get off. Simple as that," he said. "Also, I blocked your ex and deleted his contact while I was at it."

"Unless you've changed the password to my email account, I can still get back in if I wanted to."

"Okay, I'll just keep the whole phone until we get home Monday. Maybe by then things will have died down."

"I doubt it and what the hell am I supposed to do for the next 2 days if you take my phone?"

"_Me_," he smirked.

"Hmm, sounds like a fair trade. Just let me text my family first so they won't get worried if they don't hear from me during the next 48 hours," she said before sending out messages.

His phone rang and when be looked at the screen, he sighed. "What now."

"Who is it?"

"Someone from the PR department," he slid the bar. "Hello? I appreciate it but that's not necessary, there's no need to put out a statement because it is what it is. Wait, just to be fair, I'll ask her what she wants to do? Rob, do you want to address this?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Thanks but we're good," he said before hanging up.

"Everyone knows now and that's fine. If we have to make appearances together, it can be acknowledged but once WWE puts out a statement, _Robman _will officially belong to them. I don't want our relationship mentioned on TV period. At least Becky and Seth were equal in status when management exploited their relationship. He was Becky Lynch's boyfriend and she was Seth Rollins' girlfriend. You'd still be addressed as Roman Reigns and I'd just be Roman Reigns' girlfriend which can't happen while I'm trying to make a name for myself."

"I can hear Cole making Lady and The Tramp references on commentary already," he grimaced.

"Exactly! No, just no. Let's keep our careers and personal lives separate," she laid back on her pillow. "All of this technology and no one has figured out how to make a time machine yet? Jesus Christ, it's been a long night."

"Let me make you feel better," he opened her towel.

He did and it brought a tear to her eyes. He really loved her and she could feel it in every touch, kiss and lick as he went from head to toe. It felt amazing to be connected to someone physically and emotionally like they were in this moment.

By the time he finished with foreplay, she was curled in fetal position recovering from orgasm. Robyn could feel the heat from his body, the skin of his chest and thighs pressing into hers as he spooned her from behind while they lie on their side. She felt his lips lightly touch the top of her ear then move down to lobe. Lifting her leg, she gave him access to enter her. His long, slow strokes were wreaking havoc on her and she wasn't going to be able to last much longer. Every thrust was deep, ending only with his heavy balls slapping against her ass. She moaned quietly, taking every inch and loving it. Joe's hand reached around her chest and she locked her with his so that their fingers were intertwined over her heart. She began pushing back against him as familiar waves of pleasure coursed through her body. He increased his pace before delivering one final push that filled her.

"I love you," she sniffled, her eyes closing.

"I love you, too. I'm not going to lie, the next few weeks are going to be rough but at the end of the day, nothing matters except us. Remember that," he quietly assured in Robyn as he fell asleep still locked inside of her.


	25. Chapter 25

"What if nobody shows up? I know NXT is going to come through because they love free alcohol but if the main roster doesn't make an appearance, I'm going to be so hurt!" Robyn said as she placed ornaments on the Christmas tree. Now that the secret was out and they were settled into their new home, Rob decided to throw a Holiday Housewarming Party.

"We'll definitely get visitors from the Orlando and Tampa areas but don't hold it against the ones who can't make it," Joe noted as he decorated the rail of the stairs. WWE made the decision not to run any live events or TV tapings between December 21 and 26. It was the 22nd. "We don't get much time off so a lot of them will want to spend it with their families, especially the foreign Superstars. The ones who couldn't make it have already sent their housewarming gifts in but overall I think it's going to be a good crowd."

"Who do you think is going to be the first to break the dress code?" the invitations she passed out called for formal attire.

"Probably me," he admitted.

"Joe, at least wear the tux long enough to greet everyone and take pictures with me to remember this night by. Then you can go upstairs and change into whatever T-shirt and sweatpants combo your heart desires," she chuckled. The doorbell rang and she looked at the time. No guests would be showing up 2 hours early. "I think that's the catering service here to start setting up."

"I'll get it," her father volunteered.

"I don't know why you're wasting money on a caterer when I'm right here," her mother complained. Friday's Smackdown was in Brooklyn where her parents attended, met Joe and flew home with them the next day to see the house, get to know Joe better and be present at the party before leaving the next day. Joe showed himself to be the perfect gentleman which went over well with them.

"Mom, you're a guest in my home and I wouldn't dare have you work. This is three rosters of wrestlers I have to feed so it's definitely not a one person job. I'm a witness to how they swarm catering at the arenas. Survivor Series was a nightmare..."

The last thing they set up was a mistletoe photo area for couples before going upstairs to get dressed.

"You know what I just realized? We should've invited the neighbors. With all the cars that'll be parked around the property and the loud music, the chances of the cops being called would lessen if they were in here with us. It's too late now because they'll probably see right through it," she said.

"Come try this," his voice was muffled by food as he stood over one of the refreshment tables.

"No thanks. I'm good for now," she clicked her phone to look at the time, 6:58, and began pacing near the door.

"Babe, no one is going to show at straight up 7…"

She turned to walk in his direction and that's when the doorbell sounded. She checked her screen. "I guess you were right. It's 7:01."

NXT arrived first and the others began rolling in at around 7:45 to 8:15. Robyn was there to welcome everyone and direct them to drop their gifts off under the tree. After that, things slowed down and she joined Joe on the sofa where he pulled her into his lap.

Dana soon approached. "So I took a selfie and tried to be cryptic by captioning it '_here to help the love birds celebrate their new love nest'_ without seeing the 'Robyn' and 'Joe' Christmas stockings hanging behind me in the background when I posted. I didn't notice it...but the fans did."

"And what happened?" Joe asked.

"Well, the most liked comment so far is: '_you and the rest of the Superstars posting from inside of the same house are condoning the behavior of a homewrecker by attending her victory lap party now that she has him_," Dana read. "And the second most liked is: _I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt but you don't file for divorced and move in with the rebound within two months. They definitely already had something going on like most of you suspected. None of this 'just' happened." _

Robyn shook her head. "Yeah, I should've mentioned after everyone arrived to be mindful of posting and to not give away any clues of where you are and why you're here. They would've just assumed this was like an office Christmas party hosted by WWE or something."

"I am so sorry," Dana apologized.

"No, it's okay. They were going to talk regardless so I'm not mad but this will give them something new to harp on now that the live video has been picked apart frame by frame and gif'd to death," she finished the last of her champagne in one gulp. "I don't want to win anymore."

"Said no one…ever," Sasha replied.

"I don't want to seem ungrateful because I know some girls would kill to have a push right now. I'm also aware that I have to be built up to look like a credible threat leading up to the Rumble but the reaction both in the arena and online gets worse by the day," Robyn said, trying to justify her statement.

"But at least you get a reaction," Sonya pointed out. "You inadvertently made yourself the most talked about woman in WWE. Everytime you appear on screen, your name trends all night with people fighting back and forth over the situation. In this business, all attention, even if it's negative, is good attention."

"I understand that but at the end of the day, you don't have to log into Twitter or Instagram and see the vile things such as death threats and other crazy shit because of who you're dating. I know Joe got hate but it was for bullshit reasons such as '_he's being shoved down our throats,' _and some had no real excuse at all so it was senseless and stupid looking back. With me it's different because they actually have something to latch onto with the false '_homewrecker fucking her way to the top' _narrative. Add misogynist men and scorned fangirls and there you have it," she said. "Joe isn't even suffering from backlash because smarks are actually giving him cool points for this! He also kept all of his female fans except the ones who are mad at him on Galina's behalf not knowing that all three of us are on good terms with each other."

"Just stop checking your mentions," Lacey suggested.

"If only it was that easy. I have a fanbase and I acknowledge them with likes and retweets. To not check my mentions would mean neglecting my actual supporters."

"Do you have a fanpage?" Bayley inquired.

She nodded. "Yes, I have a few that I'm following and communicate with in DMs."

"Ask them to help filter the positive tweets by liking or retweeting so they end up on your timeline and from there you can like or retweet them yourself. That way you won't have to see the hate."

"That's a really good idea. Thank you!" she sighed. "Moving on, it's the holidays so let's leave work at work."

Joe whispered in her ear, nudging her to stand. "We should try to be good hosts and mingle with our other guests."

Robyn's mouth watered looking down at the spread of food but forced herself to ignore it as they carried on conversations with Corey and Carmella.

"I don't know if I want to open the gifts now in front of everyone or tomorrow when we're alone. Probably now because who doesn't like being nosy?" she decided.

The most gifted gifts were gift cards to places like IKEA, Home Depot, Bed, Bath & Beyond. Someone had also bought them a Costco membership. The second most gifted items were bottles of alcohol. Bryan and Brie, not in attendance, sent a potted baby tree to be planted in the backyard. Seth and Becky bought them an All-in-One Cappuccino, Espresso and Coffee Maker. She also received various cleaning supplies, silverware sets and household appliances.

"Aww. Thanks everyone for the gifts."

"Especially you, Mandy," Joe added with a wink, referencing the lingerie sets she'd bought Robyn to wear for him.

"_Anyway_," Robyn playfully rolled her eyes at his comment. "You guys didn't have to show up tonight especially since it's taking away time from your own families and you sure as heck didn't have to bring anything but I'm grateful that you did. These last few weeks have been rough so this is definitely the highlight of it all."

The doorbell rang and she saw her mom disappear to answer it. Kacy and Ricochet entered.

Joe's gaze centered on the pair before his head whipped around to her. "You invited him?"

"No, I'm just as shocked to see him as you are. I invited all of the women in the old NXT group chat and Kacy was one of them. I said they could bring their significant others if they wanted to and he's hers. It's okay I guess," she shrugged. "Imagine him sitting at home scrolling through IG and seeing all of his coworkers here while he's not."

Now that the gifts were opened, everyone moved from the crowded area and spread. Joe was huddled up with some of the men while Robyn leaned on the fireplace mantel surveying the scene. She saw someone approaching out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey," Trevor awkwardly extended a heavy gift bag which she took.

"Hey," spoke back, looking inside. "Oh, a waffle maker! I didn't even think to buy one of these so thanks."

Trevor looked around and then up at the high ceiling. He whistled. "I can see why you moved out of your place. This is nice."

"Yeah, we like it," she smiled.

He squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I'm just going to get right to it so we don't have to make anymore awkward small talk: I had no business sending you that text. You were getting enough shit from the fans that night and didn't need it from someone you considered a friend and a lover at one point. I let my emotions take over because I felt played and deceived because I thought you'd given a bogus excuse to get rid of me so you could get with Joe now that he was single. Then, the real story got around backstage at Raw that he was separated and that you two were already in a relationship until he reconciled with the wife. After that, I started thinking about conversations we'd had about your ex and piecing things together. Suddenly, it all made sense. It was him all along. I felt like an asshole and I tried to text you several apologies but you never responded. Then Kacy guessed that you probably blocked me. I figured the best way to make amends was in person tonight."

"That sounds like a sincere apology but she didn't block you, I did," Joe interjected before Rob could reply.

"Joe, I-" Trevor began.

"Not here, let's take this to the kitchen where it's quieter," he suggested and they both moved forward until Rob grabbed his arm to stop him.

She pulled him down and moved her mouth next to his ear. "Tonight has been perfect and everyone's having a good time. Please don't cause a scene, especially with my parents lurking."

"Calm down, I just want to talk. There won't be a problem...unless he makes one," he declared before weaving through the bodies.

Still uncertain, Rob moved over to an area of the living room where she'd have a view of the kitchen. They were facing each other in front of the counter. The conversation seemed calm at first until, from what she guessed, Trevor said something Joe didn't like and things turned heated as they both took on aggressive stances.

"Oh no!" she whispered quietly, trying to make her way through the crowd. She could still see them. Trevor was talking a lot with his hands. Joe took a step forward and she closed her eyes, not wanting to see what came next but curiosity got the better of her and she peeked...to see them shaking hands. Crisis avoided.

Her parents had gone to their room at 10 so she didn't have to act prim and proper anymore. She could put the champagne glasses down and pick up shots. At one point she was grinding on him until he gave a warning bite to her ear, asking her to stop, not wanting to tent his pants in front of everyone. Most of the party goers started to leave right at midnight, especially if they had to make the drive back to Orlando but the rest lingered around until 1. This wasn't a college frat party so the house wasn't trashed but there were several wine and shot glasses scattered around.

"We can straighten all of this in the morning. You woke me up early to help you decorate and I'm tired," he yawned.

"I hope you aren't _too_ tired because I have an early Christmas gift that I want you to open," she bit the corner of her lip in a mixed gesture of innocence and eroticism.

"Oh?" he raised an intrigued brow, before looking around. "What about your parents?"

"I'm not _that_ loud and we're upstairs. I gave them a room down here for a reason," she grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom. Once they entered, she stuffed him in a corner. "Alright, stay there."

"What do you have up your sleeve?"

"It's not up my sleeve," she coyly said, giggling. She went over to the bed, turning her backside in his direction. She thrust her butt out and then slowly hiked up her dress. He watched with great interest, although he didn't seem to know where this was leading. She revealed a tiny thong and pulled the strip of fabric to the side. Something shiny, black and plastic was somewhere it didn't seem like it should be.

It took him a few seconds to figure out what it was as he squinted and took a step forward. "Is that… a butt plug?"

"It is," she laughed over her shoulder at his reaction with a twinkle in her eye, continuing to show him her ass.

"How long have you been wearing it?" he inquired as he closed in on her.

"When I got dressed for the party at like 6. It's almost 2 so 7-8 hours now," she'd bought a small training plug for beginners and had been secretly practicing with it all week.

Robyn had never done it before and Joe never brought it up but they both seemed excited to try something new. He started by sliding down between her legs to warm her up by stroking her pussy with his talented tongue and sucking on her clit. Once he got her off, he flipped her over and swirled his tongue around the rim of the plugged flesh before reaching for the lubricant she had on the nightstand to slather it on.

He gently pull the plug out a few inches before sliding it back in, repeating the motion slowly. He then saddled up between her legs and grabbed his hard cock. He slapped it against her lips in anticipation before pressing inside of her vagina. He whispered about how bad he wanted to try her ass next.

Slowly, he removed the plug completely to squeeze out more lube onto her before pushing the plastic back inside. She grimaced a little because she was used to inserting it at her own pace and pressure.

"Are you alright?" he asked and she nodded. "You sure you want to do this?"

"I didn't walk around with this thing inside of me for hours while entertaining a house full of guests to go back on it now," she bravely stated before taking a deep breath. "Plus, I'm a wrestler. I don't belong in the ring if I can't tolerate a little pain."

She continued to let him work the plastic, allowing the muscles in her ass to adjust to the stretching from the movement before his other hand moved around to stimulate her clit. Finally, he tossed the toy aside. It was barely a second before he knocked on the backdoor, still coated in her juices from up front as he slowly pushed forward. Instinctively she tensed up, so he reminded her to try to relax and let him in. The sensation was different than the plug. It wasn't painful but it was still uncomfortable like her body was rejecting it. It felt as if she was a snake squeezing its prey. He moaned whispering how tight she was and started to move.

Once he'd gotten halfway inside, he paused to let her adjust to this new sensation, his hands exploring her waist, back and shoulders. After a few minutes of this, Rob was ready for more. His fingers resumed stroking her wet folds as he gave another inch and then another until he was buried.

She hissed between heavy breaths as her body tried to decide between pain or pleasure. As he went faster, the pleasure from his fingers and the sounds of his groans caused the first hollow feelings in her pelvis creating rippling waves throughout her body as she quietly expressed her orgasm. Seconds later he began to cum. She could feel him pulsating inside of her. He pulled out and rested his cock on one of her cheeks while she thought about how she just lost her anal virginity.

Rob said nothing, she was too exhausted to speak. Joe took her to the bathroom and started to run the shower for them to clean up. They stood there in silence as the hot water rained down on them before lathering up each other's skin.

"How was it for you?" he finally asked.

"It was okay, I wouldn't mind trying it again," she said and his mouth twitched into a smirk. "But don't expect this to become a regular thing. Maybe for your birthday or our anniversary."

"Wait, when _is_ our anniversary?" he tilted his head. "I met you the day I returned which was February 25th. We exchanged numbers that night and seemed to fall right into the relationship."

"Let's not even try to pinpoint the exact date because I have no idea. How about we just celebrate it on your return date because like you said, from the moment we met, it was a go. It's been a wild year…"

"It has. Now let's get out of here," he said, slapping her wet ass. "Hey, now that I have the time, I'm picking the kids up tomorrow and we're going to head to Pensacola. If you don't have plans yourself, I want you to come with me."

"You've met my parents. It's only right that I meet yours…" she said, tying a robe around herself. He walked over to the bed but she headed to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I made the sacrifice of food in order to make sure this went smoothly _if you know what I mean_," she replied. "Now that that's over, I'm hungry."

* * *

"We went to his father's house first…" Robyn began as she sat in the living room at Trinity and Jon's house. Joe's mom sent them to run an errand and he made a detour to their place.

"How was it?" Trin asked.

"Easy. A lot of men are weird and have double standards when it comes to who their daughters bring home and who their sons bring home. If the son's girlfriend is pretty, they're automatically given an advantage with the dad but the boyfriend is almost always given a hard time. For example, my dad basically gave Joe a full questionnaire when they met at the arena and continued interrogating him throughout the night about his _intentions_; I didn't feel like Joe officially had his approval until the next day when we made it to Tampa. Sika only had two things on his checklist based on the initial conversation: Does she love him? _Yes_. Is she after his money? _No_, she has her own WWE contract. That took less than ten minutes to establish and then we were off to his mom's place…"

"And what happened over there?"

"She called me Galina, _twice_," Robyn replied.

"Was she rude?" Trin asked.

"No, not at all. She was actually very welcoming when I arrived but for the most part she ignored me and mainly focused on Joe and the kids. I don't know," she shrugged.

"I mean you have to look at it from her point of view. She's been dealing with only Galina since 2005 so 14 years and 3 grandkids later, she has to relearn a new girl who came out of nowhere. As a mother, she's probably just cautious right now but I'm sure she'll come around."

"When you put it that way I understand. Also, there's no telling what Jojo has told her about me," Rob laughed.

"Right!" Trin chuckled. "Oh, sorry we didn't make the party. I knew there'd be a lot of drinks going around and we're trying to move away from that scene, at least for now. I hope you liked the gift we sent though."

"I did. Joe informed me of the situation and we support your decision 100%. You guys are his family so y'all can drop by anytime you want," she replied. "When are you coming back to work? The locker room is so much more livelier with you in it."

"I've been doing promotional work over the last few months so soon. There's so much going on in both divisions right now. Creative will have to find the opportunity to write us back in. If they don't bring me back in during one of the Raw's next month leading up to it, I'm hoping to be a surprise entry at the Rumble...that you're winning hopefully," Trinity nudged her.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself. They could easily bring Ronda back to win for Becky or have Sasha win it to face Bayley because we all know one of them is going to turn on each other eventually. And let's not forget Nia is training for a comeback as well."

"First of all, Ronda is Ronda and doesn't need a Rumble win to come back and pick up where she left off with Becky. Who knows if she's coming back, period? Sasha is a big contender and I could see her being final 4 but she doesn't necessarily _need_ the win either. This is _your_ moment!"

"Nothing is certain in WWE until it happens. I have momentum behind me now but someone else could easily get over within the next month, prompting management to push whatever plans they had for me to the back burner. We'll see though…"

"If you didn't know how pessimistic she is, now you know," Joe stood over the sofa from behind where they sat. "Are you ready? I need to get these groceries back to the house before Mom comes calling."

"When are you going back home?"

"We're going to leave tomorrow afternoon. I'll drop the kids off at home so I can enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve night alone with my baby," he said, leaning down to put his arms around her and she cupped his jaw.

"So cute," Trin cooed. "I'm going to miss seeing Galina at family functions but he couldn't have picked a better successor."

Joe parked in front of his mother's house and left the car running. "I'll be right back."

She unclicked her seatbelt. "Actually, I have to use the restroom. I thought I could hold it until we got to the hotel but I don't think so now."

He killed the engine. "Come on."

"You grew up here so I knew you didn't get lost but you sure took your time," his mother said when they walked in.

"I made a few stops. We're getting ready to go once we find the kids. Where are they?" he looked around.

"They're in the back playing with their cousins that they don't get a chance to see that often. Why don't you and Gali.._Robyn_ go ahead to the hotel and let them stay here," she suggested. He was about to protest. "Seriously, go."

"Well if you insist," he replied. "I'm going to tell them I'll be back in the morning so they'll know what's going on."

"And I'm going to the bathroom," Robyn announced. By the time she came out, Joe still hadn't made it from wherever he went off to. His mom was standing around in the kitchen and she didn't want to look rude by going out to wait in the car. She was getting ready to say something until his mother beat her to it.

"I don't know why Joe brought you here…"

"Uhm…?" Rob was taken aback, feeling insulted.

"...during this time. You _never _bring a new partner to meet the family during the holidays. Everything is so hectic. As you can see, we have people in and out. I'm constantly thinking of did I get everything for Christmas or forget anyone," she explained and Robyn could see where this was going and relaxed. "My son talks about you alot and the little time I spent with you, you seemed lovely. Maybe in the future during a slower time we can get a chance to spend more time together."

She nodded. "I agree. It seemed like every time we'd get into a conversation, Joe would interrupt like, '_Rob, come meet my Uncles, Aunts, Sisters, Cousins, Random Friend from High School,' _so I was pretty much up and down all day."

Joe came back to join them and usher her out of the door. "We'll be back in the morning."

"That was nice," she noted when they loaded into the car. "I _thought _there was an issue but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. We really met each other's families this week. We've grown so much as a couple. I feel like we're one now, more than ever before. How did we even get here?"

"I drove…" he muttered sarcastically.

"Joe!"

"I really don't know how all of this happened but I'm glad and I want to keep moving forward. I got something for you," he reached into the glove compartment in front of her and pulled out a long jewelry box with a bow on top. "You gave me an early Christmas present last night and I decided to return the favor."

Robyn opened the lid to see a shiny necklace with 3 diamonds surrounding one black diamond in the middle. She gasped. "Have you been going through my stuff because I swear I have a pair of black diamond earrings that look just like this? I don't know what to say besides I love it. I wasn't sure you'd get me anything especially after I went into bridezilla mode for days leading up to last night. It was like a Christmas party, housewarming party and official 'coming out as a couple' party wrapped into one so I wanted everything to be perfect. Oh, wait, I didn't mean to say _bridezilla_ because we aren't there yet but you get the point."

"Yeah, I get it. However, I _am_ going to marry you one day and I don't care if you go bridezilla or not. I need for you to know that I love you and I've gone back on a lot of things during our relationship but I'm going to keep my word on this," he declared.

"I know and I love you too but before you think about marrying again you need to focus on pushing that divorce through because even though I try not to think about this, it's a fact that _legally_, I'm still dating, shacking up with and sleeping with a married man."

"Working on it," he replied.

"Random but after spending time with your family, I have a question: does anyone actually call you Leati?"

* * *

"You look so cute like that," Joe complimented Robyn as she sat in her Christmas pajamas and Santa hat. He pulled out his phone to capture the moment. "I'm posting this."

"You know that's not a good idea, Joe…"

"It's Christmas. Who could possibly be in a bad mood today?" he asked.

"You'd be surprised," she muttered. "My comments are still off for a reason."

"We'll see in a minute," he said, opening his app.

**romanreigns: **Hope your morning is going as well as mine.

**username1: **If I wanted to see pictures of your whore I would've followed her.

**username2: **You're with Robyn instead of your kids on Christmas morning? Smh. You just keep disappointing me.

**username3: **Why are you proudly posting your sidechick? I hope your wife uses this against you in court.

**username4: **Imagine being this invested in the personal lives of people you don't know.

**username5: **You can look at her face and tell she think she's won. Newsflash to all future mistresses out there: once you take the wife's place as the main, you leave a vacancy in your old sidechick position and someone is eventually going to fill it. He's probably taking applications already now that the thrill of the cheat is gone.

**username6: **Y'all need to get over it...

**romanreigns:** Since the beginning, we've remained quiet, trying not to dignify any of these comments with a response but enough is enough. I'm only going to address this once so screenshot it, pass it around: there was NO affair therefore NO sidechick. Please keep the bs rumors and speculation off my page. From now on, I'm blocking anyone who disrespects Robyn, both in my comments and in hers. Merry Christmas.

Frustrated, he tossed the phone aside.

"Told you so," Robyn gave him an amused, knowing look. "Welcome to my world."

The fans were still giving her a hard time and he felt guilty knowing that it was his fault. Galina was given a lot of crap too in the beginning but the difference was, she was a private citizen and could easily delete her public pages and go undercover. Robyn on the other hand was a public figure and needed her social media accounts to promote herself, stay connected with fans and further storylines. He knew the hate would eventually fade or another gossip worthy scandal would happen and fans would move on to it but as of right now she was catching hell.

"Gift time!" Robyn went under the tree and came out with a small, wrapped box. "I didn't know which to buy since there was an entire lineup but one just screamed you."

He tore through the wrapping and open the box to find a Rolex. He looped it around his wrist. "It is me. I love it!"

"Where's mine?"

"You have two more left. The first involves the necklace actually. The woman who sold it to me was flirting but the only thing seductive about her was the scent she wore. I asked her about it and immediately went to a department store to pick it up," he pulled out a perfume bottle that he'd stuffed in her Christmas stocking.

She sprayed it in the air, waited for it to settle and then sniffed. "Delicate but still sexy. What's next?"

"Close your eyes," he said and she quickly squeezed them shut. He walked over to the laundry room door and opened it. "Alright."

"What?" she asked, staring up at him until she heard the pitter patter on the floor. A little, black French Bulldog ran up to her. "Hi! Oh my God, she's so cute."

"That's not a she…"

Robyn rolled the dog over onto it's back. "You are correct."

"What are you going to name him?"

"How about...Midnight," she said, running her hand across his black fur. "I made breakfast but it's not much. I don't want you to get full because you're going over to Galina's when you get dressed and she's probably cooking so I know you'll be eating with them."

"Aren't you coming?"

She sighed. "Joe, I already tagged along during the Pensacola trip. I'm still new to the equation and I don't want the kids, _well Jojo_, to feel like I'm being forced on them. I like that you want to include me in these things so I can feel like I'm part of the family but there are certain occasions where children need to spend time with _just_ their parents, especially when they haven't quite gotten adjusted to one moving on with a new partner yet."

"You're right," he nodded, pulling a chair back at the table.

"What time are you planning on coming home?" she asked.

"I don't want to pop in and out so maybe 8, 8:30," he replied. "Why, do you have something planned or somewhere you want to go?"

"No, just wondering," she disappeared into the living room and came back with presents. "These are for the kids."

"Thank you. I'm sure they'll appreciate them," he shook one of the boxes. "What is it?"

"For the boys, I just got a few things I saw while rolling down the toy aisle because at 3 they shouldn't be _that _particular. For Jojo, I got Nail Style Studio, DIY Lip Balm Kit, a Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera and some of that overpriced Jojo Siwa crap."

He raised a surprised brow. "Trying to buy my daughter's love."

"I doubt that'd be enough," she snorted. "We were on the road for her birthday last week so instead of giving it to her late, I decided to save it all for today. What did you get them?"

"iPhone 11 for Jojo and Nintendo Switches for the boys. G took care of the less expensive items on the list. What are you going to do while I'm gone?"

"Probably get started taking some of these decorations down, packing to get back on tour tomorrow and of course, play with my new puppy!" she squealed. He walked out to the car and she followed, leaning in the open window that he let down. "I love you, too. Have fun. Tell everyone I said hello and Merry Christmas…"

* * *

"Guess who's here?" Galina yelled over her shoulder when she opened the door. He entered bearing gifts.

"What did you get me?" Jojo inquired.

"What have you been begging your mother for since it was announced?" he questioned and her face lit up. She knew and he didn't bother to wrap it, handing her the phone's box.

"Thank you!" she hugged him and turned in the direction of her room.

"Don't run off yet, there's something else. It's from Robyn," he handed her the box. A ghost of a smile played at her lips when she lifted the top but it quickly disappeared.

They ate and later received visits from Galina's family and mutual friends that they still had. He officially knew that he made the right decision as he sat amongst everyone without feeling awkward. Usually the husband is looked at like the bad guy when a couple splits but no one treated him any differently and it was great to feel a sense of normalcy.

Later, he sat alone on the sofa with Galina. "...but yeah, Rob was a nervous wreck the morning of but she did a good job so it turned out really nice," he said, speaking of the party. They invited her but now that they weren't together, Galina wanted to separate herself from the wrestling side of things especially with that being Robyn's territory. Reaching into his back pocket, he retrieved an envelope and handed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked, opening it to find a gift card that would afford her luxury spa treatments for a full year.

"Just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean I'm going to leave you hanging on Christmas. Now that all of the kids are in school, you'll have more time during the day and can put that to use."

"Wow, thank you," she said appreciatively. "Oh yeah, I meant to ask this earlier but how is Robyn enjoying life as the significant other of _Roman Reigns_?"

"Well…." he trailed off, trying to find the words and she laughed. "There a select group of fans that are giving her a hard time. I can tell you don't miss it."

"There will always be moments where I miss being _Joe's_ wife but _Roman's_ wife? No. I've been called everything from a bitch to a gold digger despite you publicly stating how much we struggled, didn't know where rent was coming from and how we were on food stamps before you signed with WWE. Let's not even get into your 4 outside kids with 4 different women in 4 different cities as if I would've stayed if that actually happened," she scoffed. "Nope, I'm not going to miss being the target of those lies and narratives at all. My social media accounts are hidden away so I didn't have to see it directly so I do feel sorry for her there. My only advice is to try to grow thicker skin and let them say what they want."

"I think she's learning that now," he looked down at his new watch. "It's almost 8. Where did the day go?"

"Thanks for the time because I need to start getting ready," she stood.

"For what?"

"I was invited to a Christmas party and I need you to take the kids to your house to spend the night. I'm coming home but it'll probably be late," she answered.

"I guess I better go break the news," when he walked to Jojo's room, the door was cracked. Her old phone was in one hand and the new one was in the other as she scrolled through both. He lightly tapped on the door and she looked up.

"I can't wait to pick out a phone case tomorrow. I'm looking at some online now," she said. "Are you getting ready to go?"

"You are too..." he replied and she seemed confused. "Your mom is going out tonight and you kids are coming back to my house to sleep over."

"Why can't you just stay here?" Jojo asked. "We have other bedrooms for you to sleep in."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Jo, that's not a good idea. Things have changed and whether you like it or not, you'd have to stay over at my place eventually anyway. It'll be alright. You can bring all of your stuff. As a matter of fact, Robyn recently upgraded to the 11 and if I recall correctly, she bought a few different cases for her own so maybe you'll like one of those."

She pouted but still slid off the bed. "Alright."

He went into the boys room and packed a change of clothes as well as brought some of their toys. Then they were ready to head out of the door. "We're gone, G."

"What time are you leaving for the airport in the morning?" she yelled from the back.

"9:30."

"I'll be over to pick them up at 9."

The house was dark when he pulled onto the driveway. There wasn't a single light showing from the windows and it left him with an uneasy feeling. "I'm going inside and I want you guys to stay here. I'm going to lock you in."

He opened the door a few inches and saw the dog's cage sitting by the door and eyes staring up at him. He figured Midnight would be out and running around. _Strange_. Once he pushed the door open completely, he saw a trail of candles with rose petals scattered between that started a few steps inside. He followed the path that turned around behind the sofa, leading to the fireplace where Robyn was stretched out on the floor wearing one of the lingerie sets from Mandy and the necklace he gifted. There was a whiff of the new perfume in the air.

"Welcome home. I'm sure you enjoyed your Christmas day, now it's time to enjoy your Christmas night," she said, sitting up.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. "Shit, I hate that _this_ is going to waste but my kids are out there in the car and they're spending the night."

"Oh!" she shot up. "You get the candles. Just blow them out and kick or throw them in the laundry room over there. I'm going to get the broom and dustpan for the rose petals."

He laughed as he hustled, carrying armfuls of candles at a time. "I figured when you asked me what time I was coming home that you had something planned. Good thing I was quick on my feet because imagine Jojo walking in and seeing..._that_."

"The last thing I want to do is traumatize the girl on top of everything else she thinks I've done. Galina would probably never allow them to come back over here again," she hastily swept up the evidence. "I'm going to go change into something decent. You can let Midnight out. That should keep them occupied until I come back down. I put him on lockdown because he kept trying to get near the candles and I was scared he'd burn his nose near them."

He watched as her ass bounced in a thong while she ran up the stairs, making him want to tackle her right then and there. Maybe he could if they made it quick…_no_. It had already been ten minutes of them trying to clean up the scene. Any longer than that and one of the kids, likely Jojo, would eventually try to get out to see what was going on. He would much rather Jojo catch Robyn stretched out in lingerie than to catch them in the act.

Passing by, he unleashed Midnight and then went outside to bring in the kids. The children walked inside and the dog immediately approached.

"That's Midnight," Joe introduced. "Robyn will be down in a few minutes."

"Can I go to my room?" Jojo asked.

"Joelle…" he started before shaking his head to stop himself. Like Robyn mentioned, he couldn't force her onto the children. Jojo had to get over it in her own time. "Do you remember where it is?"

She nodded. "Upstairs, the second door on the left."

Robyn descended the stairs about 5 minutes later in a pair of pajamas. She looked around to see only 2 children accounted for. "Where's Jojo?"

"I guess she was tired so she went straight to her room," he replied and she couldn't hide the disappointment on her face but she quickly changed her expression.

She cleared her throat. "Alright, everybody in the kitchen."

He watched as she, along with the boys made sugar cookies. Then, she made chocolate chip waffles that she dropped a scoop of ice cream on and then squeezed caramel syrup over it.

"Should I make cupcakes, too?" she pondered.

"Absolutely not! They're going to be hyper enough as it is. Keep in mind we have to get back on the road tomorrow and can't afford to have them up all night on a sugar high," Joe replied. "Now if you want to get up in the morning and make cupcakes, well, that'll be Galina's problem."

"Do you want a waffle before I unplug this?"

"I don't want nothing from something _he _bought," Joe grumbled.

"I thought you two squashed whatever you had going on?"

"We did, but that was for old times sake," he shrugged.

After they were done in the kitchen, the twins were on the floor watching a cartoon that he didn't recognize while he sat on the sofa with Rob curled into his side.

She abruptly sat up. "Wait, where's Midnight? I haven't seen him run by here in awhile. I'm nervous because it's dark in the house and since it's his first day here, he doesn't really know the place yet. I'd hate for him to hurt himself on something we have lying around."

"He was in the kitchen with me," Jojo's muffled voice said from behind as she circled around the couch. "I got some of your cookies, Robyn. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! Your brothers and I made enough for the entire neighborhood so you can have as many as you like," Robyn replied.

Jojo went to join the boys on the floor in front of them. She turned around again. "Oh, and thank you for the gifts."

Rob didn't respond, instead looking at him with a mix of shock and confusion. He didn't know what to say either. Maybe Jojo didn't want to be upstairs alone, she was only playing nice with Robyn to get to her phone case stash _or_ maybe, just maybe, they were actually making progress. He decided not to dwell on it and ruin the moment. Only time would tell.


	26. Chapter 26

"Thank you," Robyn said to Sasha Friday night after a match well done.

"No, thank you and don't worry about the crowd. People are stupid," she replied. "See you Sunday."

"Alright, now I have to go find this man so I can get out of here," she didn't have to look far as she spotted him around the corner with his back turned. Just for the sake of surprise she went behind him and covered his eyes with her hands.

"Hey baby," he reached around and palmed her ass, squeezing and kneading gently.

"Now what would you have done if it wasn't me besides apologize profusely to whoever it was so you don't catch a sexual assault charge?"

"It wouldn't have happened. If I can't recognize your touch and scent after almost a year, we shouldn't be together," he turned around to face her. He was so handsome and his dark-eyed gaze was enchanting. "I'd say that was your best match to date. Every move was smooth, crisp and pulled off with technical precision. That was 5 star caliber and I'm not blowing smoke up your ass because you're my girlfriend."

"No, I believe you and thanks," she blushed. "I hope the fans watching at home appreciated it more than the ones here live in the arena. Imagine booing a woman over a situation involving a man only to cheer him when he comes out. If that isn't sexism, I don't know what to call it."

"That's true but you must not have been listening hard enough. There were some boos from me because smarks assume that I'm winning the Rumble and are salivating to have something to justify their hatred with…" he snorted.

"Maybe you should win so we can get booed together. How's that for couple goals?" she replied.

After they got settled on his tour bus, she checked the comments under a tweet WWE posted after her victory.

**TwitterUsername1**: Sasha really is the GOAT. She carried Robyn of all people to a great match. I'm shocked.

**TwitterUsername2**: Of all people? Carried? Are we really going to pretend like Robyn sucks in the ring now just because she's dating Roman? ?

**TwitterUsername3**: correction, *_homewrecked_ Roman and she definitely "sucks" outside of the ring.

**TwitterUsername4: **He said it himself that there was no affair but I guess the truth didn't spread as quickly as the rumor, did it?

**TwitterUsername3**: What was he supposed to say? "Yeah, I hit that and lost my wife and kids because of it." Of course he's going to try to protect his girlfriend and his reputation from backlash.

"What did I tell you about torturing yourself after shows? And don't lie and say you aren't reading that crap because I saw the look on your face as you were scrolling."

"It doesn't really bother me anymore. They've said pretty much everything they can possibly say by now," she shrugged. "I'm actually thinking about turning my Instagram comments back on but filtering out the words: 'Roman' 'Reigns' 'RR,' 'The Big Dog,' 'Joe' 'Galina,' married' 'divorce,' 'affair,' 'homewrecker,' 'sidechick,' 'slut,' 'hoe,' 'dating,' 'girlfriend,' 'boyfriend,' 'sleeping with' and 'fucking.' I think that just about covers everything."

"Well that'll take the fun out of trolling for sure."

"Eh, they have their Robman IG hate page to congregate on and get their frustrations out but at least I won't have to see it directly anymore."

Joe stepped out of his shoes. "I should've gotten one of these a long time ago."

"Yeah, it's nice that we can kick back and not have to drive anymore especially during a long travel week."

"_We_?" he raised a brow.

"So I don't drive?"

"If you count from the arena to the hotel 5 minutes _or less _away after shows as driving then I guess you do…"

She threw a pillow at his head but he caught it. "Leati Joseph Anoa'i, you should be ashamed of yourself for lying like that! All those nights I was behind the wheel to drive us to the next town after you took a rough bump or had a big match."

"I know, but your angry face is sexy," he grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch to rub his bulge as it expanded down his thigh. She pulled away. "What?"

Pointing at the door, she whispered. "The driver. You know I hate messing around on here. It's like having sex with parents just a few feet away. At least mine were downstairs."

"From the driver's seat to all the way back here is more than a few feet. Unless you're screaming at the top of your lungs, I doubt he'll hear but I'll turn music or the TV on just to drown it out."

"Okay, that's sound but what if he's a perv and planted hidden cameras in here while we were in the arena?"

Joe took a suspicious glance around at every corner. "Now you got me paranoid."

"See…" she laughed.

"Well, I got a quick fix for that," he forced her under the sheets, got in himself and then, pulled the comforter over their heads. Things were suddenly dark. She couldn't see him, but could feel his breath on her chest. She lay there, her entire body shivering in anticipation. His hands settled gently on her hips and pushed up her dress. Robyn practically melted beneath him as he wrapped a finger around each side of the waistband and pulled down her panties in one smooth motion. He began slowly tracing her folds with his fingers, gently at first and then more aggressively, and she felt her hips begin to move in rhythm with his touch until she built up a steam and the floodgates opened.

Then he shifted and she felt him wiggling out of his sweatpants. It wasn't soon after when she felt him at her entrance. Robyn's eyes closed and her fists clenched as he filled her.

Joe seemed to barely pull out as his hips grinded into her, preferring short strokes so he could stay pressed against her. She stifled her moans as the constant movement and pressure on her most sensitive areas drove her crazy. He pulled back and fucked her harder, longer strokes this time which changed the rush of sensation.

Her legs pulled up high around his back and she felt him slide deeper, that sweet feeling as he stretched her to the limit. There was tension in her body as she neared completion and he must've felt it as he covered her mouth with his, allowing her to cry out inside to muffle the sound.

His dick drove her higher and harder and she screamed again. He never slowed; his body flattening hers down and drove himself inside her writhing form, sending her through spasm after spasm.

Joe's forehead dropped to hers as he drove himself to his own pleasure. She felt him swell, felt the tension rise through him. All it took was one clench from her to send him to his peak as his climax burned through them both. His hips moved on their own, driving him in hard, sudden thrusts with each pulse of sperm through his shaft.

Finally he rested on his elbows on either side of her, his forehead still on hers, her legs still wrapped around his back. Robyn took his hair down and ran her fingers through it idly.

"Hey, I think the bus has stopped…" she whispered just as a loud knock came on the door, causing them both to jump.

Joe threw the covers off, causing Robyn to shield her eyes from the brightness of the light with her hand. "Yeah."

"I was wondering if you wanted to make a stop before moving on to the next town?"

"Uh…" he looked over at her and she nodded. "Yes."

"I don't know about you but after that I need to take a quick shower…"

"Being under there made me break a sweat so I'll join you."

Afterwards, she got dressed. "I wonder how long he'd been standing there? We were too wrapped up, _literally_, to notice that we weren't rolling anymore. What if he looked on his monitor for the hidden cameras and saw two lumps moving and decided to come investigate?"

"You and these conspiracy theories," he shook his head as he pulled his hair back up into a knot. Off the bus, they saw a long line of restaurant options and across the street, a casino. "Food or gambling?"

"Catering still has me covered so I guess we can waste some time in the casino," she decided.

The clamor of the casino hit them as the doors opened. The noise was designed to make people want to play, and it was doing its work on her. The casino floor was a jungle of colors and flashing lights.

"I don't really know how to gamble. When I've gone to casinos in the past it was just to drink and look around."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll teach you a few things so you don't get suckered into anything," he replied, withdrawing money from the ATM machine.

Robyn wasn't paying attention as they walked when she heard a woman's voice, '_I don't want to bother you but can I take a quick selfie with you?_' She looked at Roman to see if he'd answer the request.

"I think she's talking to you," he said.

"_Oh_," she blinked with surprise as she posed and the fan went on her way. "Well, guess I'm not that hated after all."

"I know from experience that internet trolls do not represent the entire WWE fanbase. As far as the boos in the arena, most of them are just jumping on a trend thinking it makes them look cool. At the height of my hate a few years ago, I've never been approached negatively in person."

"I see…"

After about 45 minutes, she'd lost her money and he didn't seem to be getting anywhere. "You know what I think we're doing wrong?"

"What?" he asked.

"In the movies, couples are always touching each other for good luck. The whole time, I've been standing behind you watching like a spectator,"

"Well get over here, then," he said, pulling her into his lap.

"Here goes…" she pushed random buttons. "Alright, now."

He reached up and pulled the lever. To both of their surprise, he'd won 400. "Shit, this actually worked!"

Soon his winnings went from 400 to 1000 to 1500.

"That's more than what you started with so I think it's time to go…" Robyn advised.

"One more, together," he said and when she placed her hand on the lever, his covered it and they pulled, waiting as the machine sounded off...revealing that he'd lost 1000.

"Damn, _but_ I told you to leave it alone!" she laughed. "I'm not mad because how cliche would that have been if we ended up winning a million like we're in a romantic comedy or something?"

"Speaking of romantic, you still haven't told me what you wanted to do for our anniversary next month? If you want to go on vacation or something, you need to let me know so I can arrange my schedule," he said.

* * *

The big day arrived. They didn't see much of each other after they arrived at the arena, both busy rehearsing spots for their respective Rumbles. He was also doing double duty with Corbin and had to lay that match out as well.

The closer it came to showtime, the more nervous and anxious she feels. Her pulse racing with unanticipated fear. Roman's match against Corbin was first and after his win, he ducked behind the curtain where she stood waiting to go on next.

"You definitely can't go out there looking like a deer caught in headlights," he said after taking one glance at her.

"Maybe claiming the 1st spot was a mistake. It's way too much pressure. Midway like 15 would've been better," she replied.

"Rob, I know you're scared but you need to calm down. We both know what you're capable of and you can't show it if you're a nervous wreck when you step in that ring. I believe in you, your fans believe in you, the other women in this match believe in you and management believes in you or else you wouldn't be in this position right now. If you're focused and sharp, you're going to deliver big time and will not only be the winner but the highlight of the match," he encouraged. "I'm here now to see you off and I'm going to be here when it's over."

She nodded, incapable of saying any more, her legs turning to jelly. It was as if all the nervousness that she felt leading up to the moment vanished the second she stepped out onto the ramp. The crowd's response was mixed with cheers, isolated boos and heckling.

After Alexa entered at #2, things became a blur. Instead of the usual tricks like hiding or taking rest breaks, she tried to be visible the entire time putting in work. She knew it wouldn't soften the reaction when she won but no one would be able to say that she didn't work her ass off during the match.

When it was over and her victory was claimed, the response wasn't as bad as she anticipated. It was 50% positive, 30% negative and 20% neutral but none of that mattered right now because she had 3 months until Wrestlemania to change minds.

Just as promised, Joe was waiting on her. He braced himself as she threw herself at him, arms flying around his neck in a clinging hug.

"I did it!" she said.

"You are a star and your performance tonight cemented this. Anyone who questions it is just in denial at this point," he praised.

"My heart is still beating like crazy and my adrenaline is still pumping and while you aren't winning the Rumble, you did win tonight so the moment you get out of the ring, make your way back to the bus so I can have something to take all this energy out on!"

"_You_, propositioning me to have victory sex...on the bus?" he raised a sarcastic brow. "What about all those hidden cameras?"

"This is going to be one for the ages and I don't care who sees…"

* * *

"Can I watch the Rumble in your mancave when we get home?" she asked. They landed in Tampa at around noon and from there, got directly in the car and headed to Orlando for her appointment.

"No…"

"Why not? Your TV looks like a movie screen compared to the one in the living room and our bedroom! Not to mention the surround sound system. I just want to do it this one time and then you can have it back," she begged.

"One time will lead to another time. Then, one day, I'll look up and your things will be in there and it'll slowly turn into a den. I worked too hard on that room to allow that to happen, Rob. Sometimes a man just needs his own space," he argued. "I know you aren't over there pouting? I think this is the first time I've told you no since we've been together."

"I'm trying to recall but I don't think you have. Anyway, the other TVs are big enough, I was just being greedy," she said. Still high from her victory last night, she didn't dare check social media yet because it would only ruin the mood. "I think I'm going to ask him for oncologist recommendations in Tampa so we won't have to make this drive fresh off the road."

"I don't mind. Besides, I think it'll be better to stick with someone familiar with your case."

"Yeah, you're right," she stared out of the window at the sights. "I'm not going to lie, I miss it here sometimes."

"I wanted you back so bad after filing that I probably would've gone against my original plans and moved here if you refused to come to Tampa," he confessed and she scoffed.

"Fine time for you to admit that but it's cool, I'm slowly getting adjusted to Tampa and I can't imagine a more perfect house that fits us more than the one we're in now. And it looks like we're right on time," she noted when the building came into view.

Inside, Joe looked over her shoulder at her phone screen while she looked at dresses. She clicked on one in particular and zoomed in. "Where are you going in that?"

"Hall of Fame..."

"That's not until April."

"_Men_," she chuckled, shaking her head. "I know you can wait until the week before to find a suit and get fitted but I have to decide if I like the dress, get alterations, buy a backup if necessary, match accessories, stay in the same weight range. It's...a lot."

"Robyn Nelson," a nurse called.

"Do you need me to come back?" he clenched the chair's arms, bracing himself to stand.

"No, I'm good. I'll see you in a little while because everytime you come back, the doc goes into a long, drawn-out conversation with you about everything under the sun and you entertain it while I'm just trying to get my results and go."

Dr. Foster went through his usual routine of scans, biopsies and samples. "Now, I believe congrats are in order."

She got excited all over again. "You're coming, huh? It's right there in Tampa and the clinic is closed on Sundays so there's no excuse not to."

"Of course I am. I wouldn't pass up the bragging rights of saying, '_that's my patient and I got to see her make it big live in person_,' to colleagues," he got up from his stool. "I'll be back shortly."

It was now when she was closed in a quiet room alone that she realized not inviting Joe back was a mistake but at least she had her phone to entertain her. Restricting the comments helped but there was still negativity in the bunch.

**instausername1: **I hope you thanked 'The Guy' who made your victory possible and I'm not talking about Vince or HHH.

"Note to self, filter out '_The Guy_,'" she said aloud.

The wait seemed to be taking longer than usual and then, the door slowly pushed open revealing Joe and Dr. Foster. Immediately, she noticed that the color was gone from Dr. Foster's face and Joe's shocked expression caught her off guard. Neither had to utter a single word for her to know that something was wrong.

"It's back, isn't it?" she asked and Dr. Foster's eyes closed as he confirmed with a nod.

_**A/N: Nothing's changed since the last time, I'm STILL not a doctor so some(probably most) of this may be medically incorrect but at the end of the day, it's fiction. ? **__**ﾟﾏﾽ ️**_

Dr. Foster started by briefing her on information that she already knew from the last two times.

Robyn sat absentmindedly, numb and dismayed at the news she'd just gotten. She didn't say a word, only nodding occasionally.

Joe, always a man of action, and not one to wait, spoke next. "So how bad is it? What stage?"

"2."

"No, that can't be right," Joe shook his head fiercely in denial. "She was just here 6 weeks ago. She was sitting right there and I was standing right here when you told her that she was clear and that you'd see her again today."

"Sometimes when cancer returns, it returns more aggressive than the last time. That's why it's progressed so fast. Thankfully, we caught it early," Foster explained.

"What are my options?" Rob finally spoke.

"Your cancer has a high likelihood of spreading, producing tumors and is located in an area of the body that is difficult to treat so I recommend receiving both chemo and radiation in the first few months to keep it in check."

"Chemo _and _radiation," she grabbed a long strand of her hair. "Welp, no one's going to question whether or not I'm faking it. What if none of that works?"

"It will!" Joe assured.

"Joe, sweetie, I love your optimism but right now I prefer to hear a _professional_'s opinion," she replied.

"If that doesn't work, we can explore other options…"

"And if those options don't work?"

"Well…" he started but trailed off somberly. "Due to your income, resources and advancement in technology, you have a better chance of survival than most. I'm sorry, Robyn. I wish I had better news."

"When do I start receiving treatment?"

"The sooner the better but first, I'd assume you'll want to get some things in order, notify your employer and spend some time with your family before beginning. I'd recommend no more than a week and a half because we need to tackle this thing as soon as possible."

Robyn didn't say a word on her way out of the office and remained quiet until he started the car. "Can you drop me off at the condo? I don't want to go back to Tampa tonight but you should."

"What? Why?" his head snapped over to her.

"I just want to be alone," she said. "I'll call when I'm ready for you to pick me back up."

He walked her inside the condo and she found it just the way she'd left it months ago.

"At least let me go out and buy you a few things since you won't have your car to get around. I know the stuff you forgot has gone bad by now. _Yep_," he opened the refrigerator and despite being in the living room, she could still smell the rotten meat, spoiled milk and other expired products. She covered her nose while he stuffed everything into a trash bag that he took out.

While he was gone, Robyn snapped on a pair of rubber gloves and cleaned the fridge out. The scent of chemical products took over her nose. Even after she finished, she didn't move, sitting Indian style on the floor, blankly staring inside. She knew she was devastated but couldn't bring herself to cry or feel any emotion. The only thing she could think of was the cancerous cells inside currently having a field day eating away at her body.

30 minutes later, he returned with bags and was beginning to sort them.

"You don't have to do that, Joe. I can put them away myself when you leave..._in a few minutes_."

"Trying to get rid of me, huh?" sighing, he kneeled down in front of where she sat. "Are you sure you're going to be okay here tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I've been through it twice already. This is just like the last time. I tried to live a normal life, be happy and forget about it and that's when it came back. I made the same mistake, only this time I fell in love and it came back again, with a vengeance!" she sighed.

"Let me stay, Robyn. I'll sleep in the other bedroom. You won't even know I'm here. I just can't leave you like this," he pleaded.

"Don't try to fight me on this because my mind is beyond made up," she stated and he looked defeated.

He grabbed her hands in his. "Alright, I'm going to go but if you need anything, _anything_, just call or text me. I swear I'll turn on my emergency lights and run through every stop sign and red light from Tampa all the way here to get back to you. I will do anything in my power to do because that's how much I love you."

"I know…" she managed to crack a smile and accept his kiss.

* * *

_**Joe**_

He stood outside of the door listening for a while before finally leaving. As he climbed into his car, he thought back to what led to the news.

_He was flipping through magazines in the waiting room when he heard a throat clear in front of him. _

"_Can you come to the back?" Dr. Foster asked. _

"_Did she ask for me?" _

"_No, but she'll need the support…" _

"_Support?" his brow knitted and then it hit him, his eyes widening. "No?!" _

"_Afraid so..." _

_Although as a patient in remission, the news was always to be expected to some degree but no one can quite be prepared to hear the pronouncement. This moment took him back to when he was told something was off with his white blood cell count in October 2018. _

_His legs felt heavy and it took effort to drag them down the hallway. He almost didn't have the heart to face her knowing what she was about to learn but what kind of man would he be if he allowed her to go through this alone. _

_The blissfully unaware expression she wore when they opened the door lasted only seconds until she noticed the look on their faces. Her eyes went blank. _

"_I'm sorry, Robyn. I wish I had better news." _

_He remained calm for her sake. It was one of the few times in his life that he had no options to call upon. Cancer was cancer no matter the form but his CML was treatable in 4 months via pill. Hers was unpredictable and he had no idea what to expect but he intended to be by her side throughout this journey._

_It was beyond surreal to have gone from watching her celebrate her Royal Rumble victory and pending Wrestlemania match just the night before to this. _

The 1 and a half hour drive felt like 3 as he made his way from Orlando to Tampa.

When he pulled into the driveway of his old residence, Galina walked out of the house holding Midnight's leash. The kids were attached to him and until he was trained, Robyn didn't want to take him on the road so they volunteered to watch him in their absence.

"Where have you been? You were supposed to pick up the dog hours ago? And why haven't you answered any of my calls or texts?"

He patted his pocket and pulled out his phone. She wasn't lying because in addition to hers, there were several other missed calls, texts and notifications. That's when he realized he'd turned it on silent at the doctor's office and never looked at it again. "_Oh_, sorry. W-what are the kids doing?"

"Well, that's why I met you out here. Jojo is doing homework and the boys are working on something for school as well so come back in about an hour or two because if you come in now, they're going to get distracted," she said and he didn't reply, staring at the ground. "Is something going on that I should know about? You're acting strange?"

"It's Robyn. I took her to her doctor's appointment earlier and..." he shook his head, not able to finish the sentence.

"Wow, I knew there was always a possibility of it happening but not this quickly and right before Wrestlemania? That sucks. Jojo seemed to be slowly getting over it but she is going to be so crushed now, especially if the baby is a girl. I mean, she's talked about a little sister before but of course that's different because the product would've been from me and you. How she'll react to you starting a new family with Robyn already, I don't know," he thought she had caught on in the beginning but she was clearly way off base. "How far along is she because if she's not close to showing yet, it'll give me time to figure out how to tell her."

"She's not pregnant, Galina. I wish that was the case because then, after 9 months, I'd know that she could actually go on to have a Wrestlemania moment. The way things are now, even if..._when_ she pulls through, who knows how long she'll be out or if her body can even return to wrestling," he felt his voice choking up.

"Wait, what are you saying?" she tilted her head.

"Her cancer returned and is already in stage 2..."

Galina gasped. "Joe, I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

"Honestly, nothing besides a prayer..." he took the leash and headed to the car. "I'll call later but I don't think I'm coming back tonight. I'm not in the right state of mind at the moment. I'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning to take them to school though."

The house felt cold and empty without her there. He scolded himself for his reaction to her wanting to watch the Rumble in his mancave. _Sometimes a man just needs his own space. _What would he do if he ended up stuck there in the house alone with nothing _but _space and bittersweet memories. _No_. He shook his head, only wanting to think positive thoughts. Nothing was going to happen to her.

_Ding. _

He looked at his phone and saw a long message from her: **I know you didn't want to go because that's the type of stand-up guy you are but thank you for respecting my wishes. I want you to understand that I needed this. In the coming months I'm going to be constantly surrounded whether it's by overly concerned family, friends or medical staff. I just wanted some alone time before things get hectic. I love you so much, Joe and I'm already better off than the last 2 times because you're in my life now. I know you're going to be there every step of the way to push me, motivate me, annoy me. Anyway, goodnight and you can pick me up early Thursday morning.**

* * *

**A/N:** This isn't something that you just leave so I'll be back later on this week with follow-up chapter.


	27. Chapter 27

**This was supposed to be posted Friday but life happens...**

* * *

Robyn was sleeping peacefully until a knock interrupted. It wasn't loud or booming but enough to flip her eyes open in surprise. The first thing she looked at was her phone, squinting her eyes against the brightness of the screen. 4:30 AM. Who? What? Why?

Apparently she didn't respond fast enough because the knocking picked up in sound. Groaning, she rolled out of bed onto her feet and waddled to the door. She peered through the peephole and felt safe enough to open it when she saw Joe on the other side.

"I missed you," the hug told her so much more than his 3 words conveyed; it was tighter than usual, almost clingy but still, she melted into him, feeling warm and at peace.

"I missed you, too," she replied softly as her hands roamed his shoulders and upper back. "What are you doing here?"

"You told me to pick you up early Thursday morning…"

"By early I meant 9, 9:30ish," she clarified.

"And if I came at that time, it would take us over an hour to get back home so 11. I don't want to waste any time with you today so get your shoes," he said.

"Just my shoes? Can I at least brush my teeth, shower, run a comb through my hair and put some clothes on first? Geez," laughing, she took a step back to reveal herself in just an oversized t-shirt.

"Well, since I want to make a stop, I guess we can spare 15 to 20 minutes," he decided.

She took 25 after dozing off for 5 as she got dressed. Then they were off to the car. At around 6, he pulled them into the empty parking lot of a diner. "Is this place even open?"

"Yeah, employees park around back. We're just the first customers I guess," he explained. They went inside, ordered breakfast and then waited in a booth.

When she looked at him across from her, she found him staring. "Joe, stop looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" he asked, seeming to not realize what he was doing.

"Like _that_?" she blushed, feeling a sudden pang of shyness.

"Sorry, I'm just happy to see you after being separated for the last few days especially considering the situation," he replied. "Have you told anyone yet?"

"I don't know how you broke the news to your family but I sat there Monday night after you left trying to find an easy method that didn't involve bluntly saying, 'the cancer is back' but that was impossible," she sighed. "Like, it's already difficult for me to deal with and I wasn't ready for the reactions of others. Anyway, I finally built up enough courage to call my parents who were devastated. The next morning I went ahead and contacted Vince and Stephanie because obviously they deserve to know before everyone else."

"What happened?" he asked as the bell on the door chimed when more customers entered.

"There was shock of course especially with the timing. Then, they offered me an in-ring segment tomorrow on the show if I want to make the announcement," but she wasn't sure if she wanted to take it though.

"So how are you holding up?" he placed his hand on top of hers on the table.

"The first night I was just in shock and couldn't really process it. Since then I've been shifting through moods of hope and despair. I'm trying to find a healthy medium but I'm okay at the moment," she answered as the waitress sat their plates in front of them. "Have you told anyone?"

"G."

"What about the kids?"

"I honestly wouldn't know how."

"It can't be any harder than telling them about your diagnosis. You're their father after all. I'm just the girlfriend who's only been around them for a few months," she shrugged.

From there, they continued to their house. He fumbled with his keys before inserting it into the lock. "I'm not the only one who missed you around here."

As soon as he opened the door, Midnight was on her. "I know, I've been gone longer than usual but I'm back and you're going to be seeing a whole lot more of me now. Have your kids spoiled him yet?"

"Not that I can tell although he does get whiny if I don't get him a treat fast enough. I have a surprise for you…"

"Oh?" she raised a brow. He covered her eyes with his palm and walked her down the hallway. From the sound of things, he pushed a door open with his foot before removing his hands. It was his mancave but he'd done some redecorating and she saw quite a few of her things laying around. "What's this?"

"The den…"

Her mouth dropped in shock, thinking back to how adamant he was about keeping her out the other day. That's when the tears started forming. She shook her head. "Joe, you didn't have to do this."

"I know but I wanted to. I'm pretty sure you don't want to rewatch the Rumble now but it's yours to watch whatever else."

Just when she thought she couldn't love him any more than she already did, he goes and does something like this. "You know what, I think I will rewatch it. I know it's a bittersweet moment but what is avoiding the highlight of my career going to achieve?"

The skin on her arm raised with goosebumps in response to her name being announced as the winner, rethinking her thoughts at that very moment of heading to Wrestlemania and knowing what she found out less than 24 hours later. "Life is so unfair."

"It is…" he agreed as he secured an arm around her shoulder and squeezed.

The comforting gesture moved her, but didn't fully quiet her thoughts. "Obviously we can't hear the commentary while we're in the ring so Cole saying, '_she kept her word and is going to Wrestlemania'_ really got to me, not because I'm not going but because that part was mostly directed to the kids we visited in the hospital. I'm sad now because I feel like I'm going to be letting them down when word gets out."

"Rob, if anyone understands the curveballs that life throws us, it's them. Now I'm not saying they won't be upset by this but with the right delivery of the news, you can at least reassure them."

"If I could visit every hospital that we visited all over again, I would but I don't have the time unfortunately since I'll be starting treatment next week."

"You can make a video to be sent around to them after the news becomes public," he suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," I nodded.

He pulled out his phone and aimed it at her. "Alright."

"What?! Not now. I don't even know what I want to say…"

"It'll come to you."

"Alright, I'm ready," she cleared her throat.

"1...2...now," he mouthed.

"Hi guys, by now I'm sure you've heard the news and I'm sure you have a lot of questions. I'm going to be away from WWE TV for awhile but there's no need to worry. This is nothing more than a minor setback that I'll overcome, _hopefully_," she added and emphasized hopefully because she didn't want to make false promises. "Last month I said that I was going to win the Rumble and go to Wrestlemania. Well, I did one of those things and while I won't be apart of _this _Wrestlemania, _hopefully _I'll be apart of the next. We're all on this road to recovery together now so wish me luck and I'll do the same for you."

"That was perfect. I'll hold on to it until it's time to send it around."

"Now what?" she asked and he smirked in response.

Within minutes, they were laid back on the sofa. For the next several hours they went at it like maniacs from one end of the house to the other, dripping with sweat and clawing at each other, only stopping to eat before picking back up where they left off.

Once her treatment began, their sex life would take a hit because the high dose of chemo and radiation would likely make her sex drive nonexistent and even if she desired sex, she'd probably be too tired to have it. Neither of them acknowledged this but she knew he had to be thinking about it as well.

Robyn rolled on top, straddling him in bed that night. She rubbed the head of his erection against her slickness, just enough to get it lubricated before pressing him inside.

"Rob, it's getting later so after this, we need to be going to sleep because our flight is early and I haven't seen you touch a suitcase yet," he said.

"Joe, I'm not…"

"Shh…" he gripped her waist to guide her up and down. Soon, her smooth motions turned into wild bucking. He sat up so that Robyn was straddled across his lap with her legs locked behind him.

He watched as her breast bounced with each movement so she cupped them in her hands and offered them to him; he started kissing and licking them all over, then sucking and biting her nipples. He had his hands on her ass, kneading her cheeks hard, urging her pumping hips. With a groan, Joe thrust one last time before climaxing. Rob didn't slow one beat, milking him dry.

Panting, they shared one last kiss before collapsing on the mattress.

"Now what were you trying to say?" he yawned in her ear.

"It's nothing, I'll tell you in the morning."

* * *

His alarm woke her at around 8. He showered and was walking back and forth in the room when he finally noticed that she hadn't moved.

"Why aren't you up yet?"

She hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how to break it to him. "Because I've been thinking about the offer over the last few days and I've decided to just put out a statement…"

"That's kind of impersonal. You owe it to the fans to-" he started before she interrupted.

"No, I owe it to _my_ fans, not the entire WWE fanbase. Those are the same people who tried to boo my victory and remind me that I'm a 'homewrecker that slept my way to the top' every five minutes on social media. I never told you this because I didn't want to upset you but there were people who actually said they wanted my cancer to return. Now I have to stand in a ring and tell them that their wish came true!"

"Rob, you already know that for every 2 assholes, there's 20 who support you. That's who you should focus on," he tried to reason with her. "You know I'll be in the ring to support you."

"I know, I know but I'm not nearly as strong as you are. I'll never be able to stand there as calm as you did that night. I wouldn't be able to get out one word. I'm sorry but I just can't," she shook her head.

"Then I will," he replied to her shock.

* * *

Her phone dinged around 6 and when she looked at the screen, she saw a message from Sonya.

**Daria: You'd think the Rumble winner would be front and center for tonight's show? Where are you? Joe didn't say much when we asked. **

It was then that she regretted staying home. She still wouldn't have been able to get in the ring to make the announcement but this wasn't news that you deliver to your friends and colleagues via text so she decided to ignore the message until later.

Just when she was ready to get settled before the show, the doorbell rang.

"Who…?" she asked herself, standing. She looked through the window and she saw Galina's car parked out front.

When she opened the door, Jojo was on her, sniffing and crying. Robyn patted her back as they hugged.

"Joe didn't want them to find out from the TV when they watched the show so he called and we told them together," Galina revealed.

"I'm sorry I was mean to you," Jojo whispered.

"Joelle, you weren't mean, you just didn't like change like most children your age wouldn't so I never took any of it personally. And if you're only apologizing because you think something's going to happen to me, I accept but I'm going to be just fine, _hopefully_," she replied.

"You're sick?" one twin asked. _Sick _was all they could comprehend at this time she figured.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Do you have medicine?" the other asked.

"Not yet but I'll be taking it real soon," she said.

After the show's intro, Roman's theme hit. She wasn't expecting him to start the show with this information but there he was, in his street clothes. The crowd was full of energy but he put a hand up to silence them. "I know I'm scheduled for a match with my cousins against Corbin, Dolph and Roode but that's not important right now. I didn't think I'd be addressing you as Joe again for a while but here we are…" he said and there were audible gasps and shocked expressions when the camera switched the crowd. She knew the fans were probably scared to death thinking this was pertaining to his diagnosis.

"Oh God..." Robyn watched through her fingers as she covered her face.

"Last week during a routine medical visit, and subsequent tests, doctors discovered that Robyn..." he paused, taking a deep breath to compose himself before continuing. "...that Robyn…"

She popped the TV off. "I can't watch it."

"That's understandable," Galina replied.

Almost immediately her phone blew up with texts, notifications and calls that she didn't answer right away. The twins soon demanded that the TV be turned back on so she did and that's when a match was announced:

Because she was no longer able to compete at Wrestlemania, someone had to take her place. Management decided to gather the final four women in the Rumble match(Charlotte, Shayna, Beth, Natalya) and let them duke it out in a Fatal Four Way elimination match. In the end, the winner was Charlotte who didn't seem to celebrate the victory as she would've if she'd won it under different circumstances.

After the show was over, she helped load the children into the car and asked to speak to Galina inside the house alone.

"What's the status of the divorce?"

"It shouldn't be much longer. Probably a few weeks to a month," she shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm trying to look strong in front of Joe but I'm freaking out right now and I don't know what the outcome of this could be so could you maybe...I don't know...delay it. _If _something happens to me, he's going to need someone to lean on and if you two are still legally married at the time, you might as well..." she trailed off.

"No! I don't want to hear it. You're going to be fine. Please don't let Joe hear you talking like that," she scolded.

"He already knows how I am and I'm not just talking. People with my form of cancer rarely get second chances, let alone a third. It gets harder each time and I'm already in stage 2 so there's a real possibility that I won't be here in 6 to 8 months," Robyn stated bluntly without sugarcoating it.

Galina looked taken aback and unsure of how to respond. She sighed. "You know more about your situation than I do but you have to at least have faith. Joe was never anything but optimistic and he definitely wasn't making plans and arrangements. Did you really just try to hook me back up with Joe? And for what? So we can break up for a 3rd time? I can't believe you!"

"Yeah, I was being a little ridiculous," she laughed. "I need to at least start treatment first to see how well I'll respond before talking crazy talk."

"Exactly because when your mind gives up, your body does, too. Tomorrow's a Saturday so if you need us to stay, they don't have school in the morning."

"No, I'm fine but thanks," she declined and watched them at the door until they pulled off.

Her phone was still buzzing and ringing off the hook so she wrote up a statement on Instagram.

**robwwe:** I'm sorry I couldn't be there tonight but as you can imagine, standing in the middle of that ring isn't an easy task which is why I have to thank **romanreigns** for speaking on my behalf. Love you. I'm going to continue to do what I've been doing in the ring which is fight. To my fans: being here for you is the honor of a lifetime. I'll be home for awhile beginning my treatment plan, which will occur over the next several months. I may miss a few matches during this period but with God's grace I will be walking down that ramp soon. Please keep me and Joe in your prayers as I begin this journey. #ThirdTimesTheCharm

**romanreigns:** You are the strongest woman I know. You can handle this and then some. I love you and I'm never leaving your side. Keep your phone close, I'll call when I get settled.

**username1:** I love how everyone in the comments is apologizing and feeling bad for treating her the way they did these last few months. Fake af! This isn't like Ro where we didn't know. Rob being in remission was public knowledge and most of you still chose to bully her knowing that something like this could happen. Those of you who participated should feel like shit right now.

**robwwe:** **username1** although there's a lot of truth in what you said, there's no need to harbor resentment over the past. This is bigger than that now.

From there she went on to respond to as many texts as she could from her friends inside and outside of wrestling until she was interrupted by her phone ringing.

"Hey," Joe greeted on the other end when she answered. "A lot of people were mad at you backstage tonight."

"They've already cursed me out via text so I'm aware. The women's locker room really did deserve to hear it from me but I haven't been thinking rationally these last few days," she heard a lot of noise in the background. "What are you doing?"

"I am boarding a jet so I can get home to you tonight and from there, we can fly down to Miami in the morning for Superbowl weekend."

"Actually, I was planning on flying to New York to visit my family before I begin treatment _but _I know how important your 49ers are to you so I'll come if you really want me to."

"Nah, being with your family at a time like this is more important than a game so just leave the light on for me and I'll be home soon."


	28. Chapter 28

The team of doctors attacked Robyn's cancer with every weapon at their disposal. As of right now, there was no change which was better than the alternative of getting worse. Her hair was beginning to shed when she brushed or ran her fingers through it and she'd lost a few pounds but none of it was noticeable yet; she expected that to change in the coming weeks.

The treatment made her weak so she slept most of the time and when she was awake, she missed being on the road with Joe. She didn't know how Galina and the other wives did this, not to mention the children of Superstars. If she was selfish, she could have him home all the time because while he was there, if she sneezed too hard he tried to stay and would be ready to skip live events at the drop of a hat if he thought she needed him. It was too close to Wrestlemania to allow him neglect his work. He was facing Goldberg but didn't seem to want to talk about it because of her losing out on her moment.

Today was his last day home before flying out to Smackdown tomorrow and he'd been gone most of the morning. When he returned, she noticed how strange and awkward he behaved. Now, late in the evening, he was slaving over a hot stove.

"Do you know what you're doing?" she asked from the sofa, getting ready to stand.

"Sit down," he demanded.

"You want me to ignore the fact that my kitchen can burst into flames at any second?" she replied.

"I haven't been on this earth for almost 35 years without knowing a little something about how to fend for myself," he shot back.

"Why do I have the feeling you're cooking everything that you're not supposed to have?"

"Because I am. It's a special occasion so who cares?" he shrugged.

"I care. Both of us can't be sick. Who's going to take care of us then? The dog?" she snorted. "And what's the occasion? We already celebrated our anniversary and it's neither of our birthdays. I don't know anything worth celebrating right now unless you have some good news from my doctor that I'm not aware of."

He froze, everything going quiet and still before he finally shook his head. "I wish but for now, just relax. I'll be done in a little while."

About twenty minutes went by before she heard him turning off burners and moving pots and pans around. He helped her up and then began escorting her over to the table. She didn't need it at the moment but on one of her weaker days, she was lightheaded and stumbled upon standing and he'd been paranoid ever since.

As she got closer, she noticed a large gift box on the table in front of her chair. "Oooh, a present. You were serious about this alleged special occasion."

"Alright, now I'm about to go over here and finish situating things while you deal with that," he said before going into cabinets and taking out plates.

"You got me a…" Robyn's excited tone trailed off as she lifted the top off of the box. Her smile quickly faded, replaced by a look of confusion as she stared down at an envelope. Maybe there was a gift card, tickets or something that would justify the large gimmicky box that it was housed in but once she broke the seal, the only thing inside was folded papers. "Joe, what is this?"

"Read it and see," he instructed and she unfolded the documents.

_**Final Judgement and Decree of Divorce.**_

_Upon consideration of this case, upon evidence submitted as provided by law, it is the judgment of the Court that a total divorce be granted between the parties of this case. _

_It is hereby ordered and decreed by the court that the marriage contract entered into between the parties is set aside from this date and fully dissolved. Petitioner and Respondent in the future shall be held and considered as separate and distinct persons, unconnected by any nuptial union or civil contract whatsoever._

_The Court Hereby finds that the parties have 3 minor children together, who are listed below: _

Then it went into information about the custody and financial agreement with both signatures at the bottom.

Slowly, she folded the papers and stuffed them back into the envelope, feeling a mixture of shock and joy. He was finally hers without the dark cloud of '_he's still someone else's husband' _following them around. This was the moment she'd been waiting on from the moment he said he was separated over a year ago.

"Before I tap into whatever energy I have left and do back flaps, I'll be considerate and ask how you're feeling? I'm sure it has to be bittersweet to some degree."

"It's definitely bittersweet because I never imagined this day happening when we got married but in the end I made the right decision and Galina and I are better off this way," he acknowledged.

"It's dated for today so I'm assuming that's where you were all morning. I was wondering why the heck it took you so long to drop the kids off at school. After 2 hours went by I was about to call but I didn't want to look needy as if you aren't allowed to have free time to do your own thing. Then another hour went by and another. When you were closing in on hour five, I was getting ready to call and ask you some questions but as soon as I grabbed my phone, I heard your car pulling up and decided to leave it alone..."

"You were asleep when Galina called last night and told me that we were due in court. I was going to tell you when you woke up this morning but then, I figured, why not make a surprise out of it," he said. "As soon as I signed the paperwork, I went out and bought everything I needed for tonight praying to God that TMZ didn't get a hold of the court records and ruin everything."

"You know, I really appreciate you putting so much thought and effort into this because really, you could've easily just walked back through the door and said, '_it's done' _and I would've been just as happy," she replied as he sat a plate in front of her. "It smells good but I'm going to need you to take the first bite and if you don't gag, I'll eat the rest."

"Fine by me," he opened his mouth and she inserted the fork. He seemed pleasantly surprised by the taste, which prompted him to lower his head again for more and then again after he swallowed that.

"Okay, okay, that's enough. I believe you," she laughed before tasting it herself. "_Hmm_, you did good."

"I'm going to try to start doing more domestic things around the house while I'm home to take the load off of you. It's fine now since things are slow but the two week European tours begin after Mania and you already told me that you don't want me taking off. I know Galina wouldn't mind driving you to get treated but then what once you get home? Do you think we should hire a maid?" he asked.

Rob shook her head. The last thing she wanted was a stranger in the house. "I'll be fine. There's really nothing to do besides clean up after Midnight. I can just order meals and groceries and stuff. The way things are set up these days, I don't even have to leave the house anymore unless I have an appointment which may actually be a good thing with the Coronavirus making rounds."

"Can't argue with you there but seriously, please don't be afraid or ashamed to ask for help when you need it."

"I will..._when I need it_," she said. Her appetite wasn't where it once was so after a few bites, she was done.

"Wait!" he shouted, shooting to his feet after she pushed her chair back, bracing herself to stand.

"Joe, I know you mean well but I'm okay to do things on my own right now. The treatment I'm receiving is currently light which allows me to be active whenever I have the energy. When my doctor decides to go after this thing more aggressively, who knows, I may be bedridden so let me enjoy having my independence while I still can," she requested.

"Forgive me for being overbearing but even before this, I was protective of you," he apologized.

"I know and I love you for that," she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Now sit back down and enjoy your food because I know you aren't through."

Robyn gasped in surprise as she almost lost her footing on the slick floor. Thankfully, she was close enough to the sink to grip the counter to steady herself.

"Uhm hmm…" Joe mumble. When she looked around, he was shaking his head.

"Actually, this is your fault for not cleaning up the water you dripped while cooking so blame yourself," she snorted.

The last Robyn checked, Joe was working out in the gym. She'd finished a movie on Netflix and browsed social media before showering. When she got out and slipped into a robe, he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Look at you, all sweaty and sexy," she took a moment to admire the sight before her. "You know, I'm just happy to not be dating a _legally_ married man anymore."

"Finally!" Joe sighed in relief. "I've been waiting on you to say that all night."

"Why?" she raised a brow.

He paused for a moment as if he was trying to think of the right words to reply. "Because I wanted to know your opinion about dating an engaged man."

"Wait, what?"

"Like I said, I was expecting this to go down earlier over dinner so I'll be right back," and with that, he walked out of the bedroom.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute and the palms of her hands were starting to sweat. She knew what was coming as her body tensed with anticipation. Holding her breath, she listened as his loud footsteps pounded back up the stairs. When he hit the hallway, her eyes snapped shut. She listened as he entered and kneeled in front of her.

"Rob…" he called out.

"Yes?" she answered, still staring at the darkness behind her lids.

"Look at me," he coaxed and she did. The expression in his eyes was something no words could describe just like her feelings for him in this moment as he held open a ring box, revealing a huge teardrop shaped rock. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "Damn, I hope that's not a no already."

"Of course not! I'm just...I...I...I can't even talk right now," her voice choked up.

"How about I talk and you listen for now. Even though you tried to avoid me that first day,

from the moment I saw you, I was very intrigued and felt a need to get to know you. I can't even recall our first conversation but after it was over, I'd made up my mind that I was going to get you and this was before I found out that we had something in common. I've never met anyone like you before and within the first month, you became my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night. We've been through so much together and my feelings never changed...even after you betrayed me with Ricochet."

"Stop it!" she scoffed, clearly amused. "I wouldn't call it a betrayal especially considering what led me there in the first place and I thought you were over that."

"_Never…_" he grumbled. "Anyway, I think I'm in the middle of something here. We've been through so much and I wouldn't change a thing besides going back. I already knew you were the one but seeing how good you were with my kids, even Jojo when she rejected you, only confirmed this. Through hell and high water, we kept it together. Everything about us from top to bottom just feels right. Robyn, you are my soulmate."

"_Soulmate_. I feel the same way. Falling in love with you has been the most beautiful journey I've ever been on. I knew it was special and I never wanted it to end which is why I was so hurt when you left. Not only are you handsome, strong and thoughtful but you want to spend your life with me. A man like you is extremely rare, Joe. I'm very lucky."

"We both are," he nodded. "And yes, I want to spend my life with you so, with all that being said: will you marry me?"

"YES!" she exclaimed, grabbing him by the hand, forcing him up from his kneeling position.

He proceeded to slide the ring onto her finger. "Do you like it?"

"It's gorgeous, Joe," she held it up to her face, watching the diamond shine. "How long have you been shopping for this?"

"This morning after I left the courthouse. I narrowed it down to three and this one looked the most like you," he revealed.

"This morning?!" she suddenly plopped down on the bed.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I can't help but wonder if you would've been out buying a ring while the ink was drying on the paperwork, if it wasn't for my..._situation_?"

Sighing, he sat down beside her. "Don't ruin the moment, Rob."

"So I guess that's a no…"

"Yes and no. Of course your _situation _made me reevaluate what's important in my life but I already told you before Christmas that I was going to marry you. Before your diagnosis, I was actually looking at Mania. Depending on the booking, imagine us both walking out as champs, everyone including our families congratulating us...and then I drop down to one knee. Wouldn't that have been perfect?"

"Yes…" Robyn burst into tears thinking about what could've been.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to upset you," he rubbed her back as she fell into his arms. "I was just trying to show you that regardless of the _situation_, a proposal was coming soon."

"I know. I thought I was over sitting out but hearing what could've been the perfect ending to what was supposed to be my big night hurts," she sniffed.

"Trust me, if no one else understands, I do. I've been there before. Relinquishing my title was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my career so far but I came back bigger than ever and so will you," he encouraged softly.

"We'll see," she wiped her eye on the sleeve of her robe. "Back to our engagement. I don't know how you feel but I want to keep it a secret for now because just like I thought about the timing, I don't want others saying, '_oh, the only reason he did it is because her cancer came back._' You know how people are."

"Yeah and I haven't talked to my family about it yet. You and Jojo are finally getting along and I don't want to reveal anything that may reignite the resentment especially during a time like this," he replied. "Let's give it a few months."

"Yeah and by then we can see how my condition is. If I'm doing better, I can start planning the wedding but if I'm doing the same or God forbid, worse, I'll have to continue focusing on my health which is obviously more important," Robyn stood and walked over to the dresser before dropping her robe to get dressed. As she glanced in the mirror, she could see him watching her naked figure as she moved. She felt bad because she knew that he had needs that she hadn't been able to fulfill due to treatment completely wiping out her sex drive. "We had two events in a row ruined. Wait, I forgot Valentine's Day so make that three."

"Ruined how?" his brows knitted.

"Come on now, Joe," she tilted her head. "Don't make me say it. You know how Valentine's Day, anniversary and engagement nights usually end for a couple."

"Oh that?" he waved it off. "When I proposed a few minutes ago, did I once mention sex? No because I love you for more than your body, Robyn. Don't get me wrong. You are the best I've ever had. You're incredible. I've never been with someone who was as sexually open and enthusiastic as you. Seriously, you walked around in front of a house full of people including your parents wearing a butt plug up your ass just for the sake of trying something new."

"Don't remind me," she cringed as she pulled a t-shirt over her head. "I'm glad to hear that though because that was something that worried me. I knew you wouldn't go out and cheat on me or anything but I figured you'd at least miss it."

"I'm a man so I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I don't miss it but sex is not my main concern right now, you being alive and well is…"

"Do you want me to order you one of those flesh light things to take on the road for hard times?" she joked.

"Only if it looks like yours," he smiled as she reapproached the bed.

"Actually, that can be arranged with a casting kit," she laughed, circling her arms around his shoulders. "I'm so happy."

"Me too," he nuzzled her neck.


	29. Chapter 29

**This is my 3rd version of this chapter. The 1st was drafted long before Corona complete with Mania week crap. The 2nd was after it was relocated to the PC. The 3rd after Roman pulled out. So this is not what I originally envisioned but hey, I tried to make it work.**

* * *

Robyn's reaction to the chemotherapy and radiation was getting progressively worse by the week. It was hard for her to eat or even drink at times. She lost even more weight and her hair was thinning. Her days mostly consisted of sleeping and throwing up. She had to send Midnight to live with the children because she wasn't able to keep up with him anymore. Joe provided most of her care when he was home which was more often these days due to the Corona pandemic.

"How was your appointment this morning?" Robyn's mother asked on the other end of the line. "Is the treatment working?"

"My doctor says he sees _a little _progress."

"That's wonderful so it _is _working?"

"Evidently…" Robyn sighed.

"Why don't you sound happy?"

"I am but I'm not going to react until a little turns into a lot. Even then it won't mean I'm out of the woods yet so I don't want to get my or anyone else's hopes up until I can get a more definite result. _A little _can go either way, you know?" Robyn explained. "I don't want to put anyone through thinking I'm doing better only for things to take a turn."

"You know my job is closed due to COVID-19 and while I'm not willing to get on a plane, I can get in the car and make the drive down there."

"Mom, you're in New York. Walking out of the front door up there is too much of a risk. Imagine having to go to a gas station and all the stops in between that 16 hour drive. I'm alright. I don't know who worries the most, you or Joe…"

"Speaking of which, where is Joe?"

"He's downstairs right now, either cooking or working out since that's pretty much all he can do to pass time at this point and in between that, he'll drive across town to see the kids," Robyn replied.

"So, I heard about what happened, or shall I say, what's _not _happening…"

"Yeah, it wasn't an easy decision to make because he's so dedicated to WWE. However, the only people we know for sure are safe is us, Galina and the kids. We don't know where the other Superstars have been and who they've been around. Some even had to take flights to get to Orlando. Better safe than sorry was the only way to protect his loved ones," Robyn said.

"Good for him! Anyway, I'm going to let you go enjoy the rest of your night. Love you."

"Love you, too, Mom," Robyn returned before hanging up.

Leaving the bedroom, she stood at the balcony above the stairs. "Joseph?"

"_Joseph_? That's new," he poked his head out from the kitchen.

"In times like these, we have to keep trying new things or else we'll get bored to death," she laughed, starting to descend the stairs.

"You don't have to come down. Just give me about 5 minutes and I'll be up there," he said, stopping her in her tracks.

"Alright," she sighed, parking herself on the top stair.

"Here?" he asked a few minutes later as he climbed up with 2 plates in hand.

"Yep," she nodded. "I see the inside of the bedroom too much these days. If you won't allow me downstairs, here will have to do."

"It's not that I don't want you downstairs but you had to wake up early, take the ride to Orlando, make the ride back. I don't want you over exerting yourself," he reasoned. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not going to lie, I was super tired when I got home earlier but after sleeping for a few hours, I'm feeling as good as one could feel during a time like this," she picked up her fork, ready to address the elephant in the room. "Now, how are _you _feeling? Everyone is still talking about it."

"You know how much I wrestled with the decision but at the end of the day, I'm going to do all I can to protect myself, my children and especially you since you're the most vulnerable. I just hate it for my fans though. Some were already upset about the venue and now this," he shook his head.

"If no one else will understand this, your fans will. You did the right thing," she assured him.

"Who would've thought both of us would be sitting this one out. I did feel guilty back in January when I learned the news that I'd get my big moment and possibly win my title back while you had to watch on the sidelines as someone had your Wrestlemania moment," he said. "But I guess there's a silver lining in this…we can both make our Wrestlemania comebacks next year."

"Yeah," was her barely audible mumble.

"Wouldn't have been the same anyway at the PC and I'm not just referring to no crowds. There's a Mania vibe in every city we find ourselves in. You wake up in a hotel, run into all of your fellow Superstars and their families on your way down, you walk outside to screaming fans lined up on the street waiting for you to come out, get driven through towns seeing your face all over posters and billboards, the backed up traffic thanks to people from all over the world that came, the chills you feel when you pull up to the stadium" he stared off into the distance as if he was visualizing it. "It was here in Tampa so the hotel part is out but the rest still stands."

"Mania being here in Tampa would've been the perfect arrangement especially since you'd get to come home at night after a full day of interviews, autograph signings and events. Plus I wouldn't have had to leave the house…"

"Nah, I would've definitely gotten you out of the house," he replied.

"Unlikely and if you loved me you wouldn't have made me go."

"I do love you which is why I would've done it. I wouldn't have _made _you do anything of course but it would've been good for you to get out of this house. For the last two months, the only place you've gone is to treatment and back home again. I've been doing this social distancing thing for only a few weeks, just driving across town to see my kids and I'm going crazy. Plus if you didn't go anywhere, the women's division would've piled up here because you don't post social media updates anymore and barely answer texts. I have to deal with the fans and the girls harassing me for news on you…"

"I'm not ignoring them on purpose. Most of the time I'll wake up to a screen full of notifications and I'll clear them without even opening and fall back asleep. Right now I want to text someone so bad for spoilers but it's going to look weird for them to hear from me now that I want to be nosey. As for the social media updates, there's a reason for that, I've lost 15, maybe more pounds. I know I don't _have_ to post a photo to go along with whatever I have to say but that's what they want."

"What you lost was mostly muscle but you don't look sickly or unhealthy. Modelesque if you ask me," he complimented.

"Would you even tell me if I did look bad?"

"With what you're fighting up against, I will never view you as anything less than the most beautiful woman in the world," he said with sincerity.

Smirking, she twisted the engagement ring on her finger. "You and your flattery."

"Not flattery. _Praise._"

"What's the difference?"

"Praise is actually true."

"Ah, I see," she chuckled. "Thanks."

"I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes," he instructed, standing to his feet. She did and heard his footsteps retreat into their bedroom.

"The last time you had me close my eyes, you came back with a ring. What could you possibly have now? A wedding gown?"

"Close."

"I guess it's safe to open my eyes?" she asked, squinting to see him standing there holding a black floor length gown. "Jesus Christ, Joe. I know I'm not a virgin bride but this is a little extreme. It's beautiful though."

"No, it's not that. Do you remember back in January at the oncologist's office when you showed me the dress you were eying for the Hall of Fame? It's not the exact one but it's the same color and a similar style, close enough…"

"And people say men don't pay attention!" she exclaimed, very impressed at the gesture.

"I pretty much remember everything about that day from sunup to sundown, _unfortunately_," he replied. "Oh, and I had you some accessories to go with it."

When he said accessories she thought he meant jewelry but he walked back into the room and returned with two bags, pulling out of the 1st a pair of elbow length black gloves and a black face mask that both matched the fabric of her dress. Her mouth dropped. "No you did _not_!"

"I did. The dress arrived at Galina's house before we had our first confirmed case here in Florida and I think the total in America was like 10. I knew it was serious but I didn't know how bad it'd get so I decided to take the dress to a local shop to have the mask and gloves custom made. But of course then things got bigger than just wearing protective gear so here we are," he shrugged before reaching for the other bag. "And I knew you'd have another excuse to not go lined up so I bought you this."

Robyn watched as he pulled out a wig and handed it to her. She ran her fingers through it, not able to meet his gaze. In the last few weeks her own hair was shedding and thinning. She was pretty sure she had a bald spot in the back but was too afraid to check. "So...you've noticed."

He waved it off. "You know I don't care about all of that and given the situation I doubt the fans would've either but I bought it just in case _you _weren't comfortable. I know how you are sometimes."

"You did good, real good. If I had to pick out a wig, this probably would've been it. Who helped you because I know you didn't do it on your own?"

"I went to one of those hair stores and showed your picture to the woman behind the counter and asked for something that resembled your real hair," he revealed. "It was expensive, more than I think hair should cost but of course I'm a man and have no idea about what makes a quality wig."

"Thank you," she hugged him. She knew he'd be there for her but he managed to exceed any expectation she might've had.

"Now what?"

"We try it all on!"

"Why?" he tilted his head in confusion.

"So it won't go to waste."

"How will it go to waste? I'm pretty sure dresses don't have an expiration date…"

"Yeah, but unfortunately life does," Robyn stated frankly and he froze. She grabbed his hand. "Now come on."

"But I'm pretty sure the Hall of Fame is going to happen eventually. If not at a later date this year, at next year's Mania…"

"Okay and then I'll buy another dress then. I'd hope to have gained all my weight and muscle back by then so I won't be able to fit this one anyway," she said and he stopped. "What?"

"After that morbid '_unfortunately_ _life does_,' comment it's nice to hear you expressing interest in the future," he replied.

"I haven't given up or anything Joe. It's like I told my mom, I don't want to get myself excited right now. I think when a person makes plans and something happens where they don't get fulfilled, it makes things worse. '_She was supposed to be here for this' _would hurt but '_she was supposed to be here for this, she was so happy about it, she talked about all the things she wanted to do, wear, see, etc_.' would sting so much more. I wouldn't want to put you through that," she finished.

"Hopefully you won't have to," he said following her into the bathroom.

"Get out of here!" she playfully shoved him. "It's not going to be special if we look at each other get ready."

About forty-five minutes later, he was beating on the bathroom door. "Robyn! You don't have to do whatever you're doing in there just to walk around in the bedroom!"

"If we're doing this, we need to do it right. And I don't know how much you paid for this wig but she should've charged you more. This lace front looks so real, like it's growing from my head. If there was a hall of fame and I showed up like this in full hair and makeup, I'd get those horrible 'faking it' rumors, too," she took a step back to admire herself. "Alright, I'm ready."

"About time," he muttered on the other side.

"Oh wait! I forgot my lashes!" she joked.

"Rob!" he exclaimed impatiently.

"Okay, okay," she opened the door and gasped at him standing there in his suit. "Look at you."

"No, look at _you_," he replied alluringly, giving her a quick once over from head to toe.

"Look at _us_," she shot back.

"I look like myself again," she twirled around.

"You never stopped looking like yourself," he leaned down.

"Oh yeah?" she asked, meeting him halfway until their lips touched. He pulled back half an inch and looked at her before going back in. The kiss was slow and gentle, a testing of each other's wants. His arms encircled her waist and gently slid down to her ass, pulling her against him as their kiss deepened. Unsurprisingly this did nothing for her but Joe on the other hand was stabbing her in the hip. He must've realized this and began disconnecting but her hand behind his neck kept him in place.

With one hand, she loosened his tie, unbuttoned his shirt and jerked the material out of his pants. Her lips moved to his neck and then down to his exposed chest leaving light kisses that caused him to moan and catch his breath.

"What are you doing?" he managed to ask. "I'm not going to have sex with you if that's what you're aiming at."

"God no! I can't imagine having your weight on top of me and it's been a while so you'd probably break me in half from urgency," she cringed. "But since you actually complied with this crazy idea, I'll reward you with the bare minimum."

"You don't have to do whatever you're trying to do, Robyn."

"I know but you've been taking care of me so I wanted to return the favor and take care of you. It's not going to take much effort, believe me. Lay down."

She felt bad when he eagerly plopped down on the bed. Poor thing hadn't been touched in so long, he needed this. She pulled his zipper down and freed him. When she wrapped her hand around him, he felt like hard steel covered by baby soft skin.

She remembered the leftover lubricant from Christmas and grabbed it from the drawer to lather him up. Slowly, Robyn began to slide her hand up and down the full length of his dick, twisting her hand back and forth as she stroked him.

His eyes were half closed. She could hear the squishy sounds inside the palm of her closed fist.

"So…are you thinking about anything or just laying there enjoying the feeling?" she giggled.

He gave a little panting laugh. "Right now I'm just thinking about you in that dress!"

"Imagine how my ass would look in it if I still had weight on me," she said and he groaned.

Her other hand reached under to cup his balls as her hand continued to work his shaft.

"Keep doing that," he breathed and she felt him pulsing. "I'm almost there."

With that, she leaned in closer and parted her lips over the tip as her hand pumped. Joe let out a final grunt as his back arched off the bed. She swallowed after he flooded her mouth.

Robyn moved to rest her head on Joe's rising and falling chest.

He cleared his throat. "That was unexpected but much appreciated."

"I can tell. I thought I was going to choke it was so much. You must've had that built up for a while," she laughed. "I love you."

"I love you, too, and thank you," they kissed.


	30. Chapter 30

The radiation therapy didn't seem to be working, and was beginning to destroy healthy tissue inside of Robyn's body. It was impossible for her mom to travel to Florida safely and Joe obviously had no medical training. When they looked for in-home nurses, the best were tied up in hospitals on the front lines caring for COVID-19 patients. Their only option was to check her into a cancer treatment center recommended by her oncologist. No one besides her parents, Galina and management knew. She forced Joe to lie to their coworkers when asked about her status.

The nurses in the facility had always been angels toward Robyn and often went above and beyond the job to help Joe do things for her.

A faint knock was heard on the door before two nurses walked in. "I think she's asleep."

She actually wasn't but kept her eyes closed anyway.

"I'm surprised her husband isn't in here," one said.

"I don't think they're married yet but he's going to make a good husband when, well _if_, they do," the other replied. "This place is depressing as hell. Most of our patients have very few visitors. Their family and friends stay away because they can't stand to see them or they're afraid the disease may be contagious...and this was before Corona. That man never leaves her side until he has to visit his children. When she's nauseous, he's the one holding the bucket for her and cleaning her up afterwards. When she has to relieve herself, he walks her to the bathroom and assists her. When she lost her hair, he wanted to shave his head so they could be alike but she stopped him because apparently his hair is part of his brand and his fans would riot."

"Yep, that's why I'm hoping she gets better because I don't know how he'll go on without her but the way things are looking now...I just don't know."

"I've been here for a few years longer than you have and I've seen worse make a turnaround so for now, I'll remain positive."

They checked her vitals and injected something into her IV that actually put her to sleep for the next hour.

When her eyes opened, Joe was sitting at her bedside. "I want to get married."

She looked down at her ring. "I know."

"No, I'm saying we can do this right here, right now. I ran into a priest in the hallway and he'd be willing to come down here and officiate it," he said. "We can get and send off the marriage license some time next week."

"I actually wanted a destination wedding but this ain't it. Besides, you're only trying to get married now because reality has finally set in that I'm dying and you want to make an honest woman out of me before I do…"

His expression told her that what she was saying was true but of course he wouldn't admit it. "Rob, I just want you to be my wife. And stop talking like that, you're not going to die."

"Well if you're so confident in that, how about we continue to wait until when or _if_ I make it out of this," she proposed.

"Alright," Joe sighed before nodding. He was trying his best to appear strong but she could sense his fear and uncertainty. "You have visitors ready to see you today."

"Visitors? You're lucky to be allowed in here yourself with everything that's going on. If an outsider was to infect one person it would spread like wildfire around the facility and that's going to be it for every patient in here since most of us are already on our last leg."

"Well that's what technology is for," he said, placing an iPad in her lap. "Your coworkers want to meet with you."

"No! Please tell them I'm asleep or high from all the morphine or something!" she begged.

"I'm tired of lying and they know I am. You could've at least texted them back or tweeted something every now and then if you wanted to keep up the '_she's doing fine'_ appearance. I didn't make public statements in my absence either but I still kept in contact with everyone."

"Why won't you just respect my wishes?"

"I understand, believe me. During times like these, sometimes we do want to be left alone but imagine if something happens and they never got the chance to speak to you? You'd be leaving behind a lot of devastated people."

She scoffed. "How dare you guilt trip a sick woman. You should be ashamed."

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I'll be sure to let them know to keep things short and sweet."

"No, you don't have to do that. It would look rude if we try to rush them before we even begin especially since they haven't seen me in awhile. I'd probably be just as concerned if it were one of them laying here…"

"Oh yeah. They sent you a care package," he reached behind him and grabbed a big box. "Don't worry I already opened it and disinfected everything before bringing it in. I was told they'd call at around noon so I'm going to get out of here for awhile and give you some privacy."

Robyn was nervous, having not seen any of them since January when she was diagnosed. What would they have to say? What would she have to say? At exactly 12:00 on the dot, the call came through. Once she answered, they appeared on screen. It wasn't everyone but these were the women she was closest to backstage: Naomi, Sasha, Sonya, Mandy, Carmella, Bayley.

They all began talking at once and the sound was deafening. Sighing, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear which suddenly quieted them down.

"Wait, was that...an engagement ring I just saw?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah, we wanted to wait until the time was right to announce it but between this and the virus, that time isn't going to come anytime soon," Robyn's chuckle turned into a cough which caused them to gasp as if she was going to die live on camera. They were silent as they stared horrified. She decided to make light of the situation. "Hello? Did the screen freeze or what?"

Carmella cleared her throat. "D-did you get the gifts?"

"Joe gave the package to me but I didn't get a chance to look inside yet but I guess it works out because you'll get my real time reaction," she said, opening the box.

"A T-shirt…" Robyn commented, unfolding it.

"From me!" Bayley replied.

"_In this division, no one fights alone_," Robyn said, reading the words printed on the front. It was complete with signatures from all of the female superstars. "This is so thoughtful. I love it. My wardrobe these days consist of a hospital gown but I'll make sure to get Joe to hang it up on the wall when he returns. Let's see, what's next. A bouquet of flowers."

"They're artificial, _obviously_. I would've sent a live bouquet but they probably would've wilted by the time the package got to Joe," Sonya said.

"There should be a scrapbook in there somewhere," Naomi spoke. "It's just some pictures and notes from us and others backstage including the guys and management that I put together. I also included some things from the fans as well."

"I'm going to go through every page tonight…" Robyn replied.

She went through a few more random items in the box before coming upon a wig that Sasha claimed.

"A while ago, Joe mentioned that you were on radiation so I just assumed..." Sasha trailed off. "I hope you aren't offended."

"No," Robyn shook her head. "This is actually right on time. I'm bald underneath the one I'm wearing and it's in bad shape because I've been sleeping in it and refusing to take it off because I don't want Joe to see me like that."

Naomi scoffed. "Girl, that man loves you. I doubt he cares."

"He doesn't but I do. There's a chance that this is it. I don't want frail, bald and helpless to be his last memory of me," she said and saw their sad expressions. "Look, I don't mean to bum anyone out but I also don't want to give false hope. I don't want any of you leaving this chat thinking everything is okay only for something to happen to me in like 2 months."

"Is that how long you have?" Sonya quietly asked.

Rob shrugged. "Who knows? Honestly, if my doctor does have a timeline, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to spend whatever time I have left counting the days and I don't want to have to watch Joe make arrangements for a funeral that no one can even attend thanks to the virus! But anyway, that's enough woe is me for today. I watched Mania and everyone killed it."

"Would've been better if you were there but the show had to go on," Sasha replied.

They went on to talk about various topics until Joe peeked his head in the door about an hour later. She put up a hand, indicating 5 minutes.

"I'm not going to lie, I was very apprehensive about taking this call but it's really good to see and talk to you guys. We should've been doing this a long time ago and we should definitely do it again sometime…"

"At least once a week if you're feeling up to it," Bayley suggested.

"Yeah, that'll work. Anyway, Joe has made it back and I don't want him waiting out in the hallway so I'm going to bid you all farewell until next time," she waved and listened to their goodbyes before hanging up.

Robyn quickly switched wigs and reached over to the bedside table and grabbed her lip gloss.

Joe opened the door once the 5 minutes she gave him expired. He paused his step when he saw her. "Oh! You look nice."

"Yeah, I'm going to be somebody's wife, right? Can't let myself go already," she laughed. "I hate what's going on but it does have its benefits. If things were normal, you'd be on the road right now while I laid here alone. The two week European tour would've been happening around this time, also."

"Now you know I wouldn't have been on the road…" he shook his head. "I couldn't leave you if I wanted to. And do you know how bad that would look on my part to be out while my fiancée is sick?"

"Not if I refused to allow you to stay and made it clear to anyone who had something to say about it. You sitting here would be pointless because it wouldn't change the situation and I would've preferred you to be somewhere to take your mind off of all this, even if just for the duration of a match," she explained. "Where did you go for the last hour or so anyway?"

"Just outside to make a few phone calls. One of them was to Jojo and I told her…"

"That I'm dying?!" Robyn exclaimed. "That's not an over the phone conversation, Joe!"

"No, of course not. I wouldn't dare talk to her about something we don't know for sure is going to happen. Unfortunately, I'm aware that one day I _may _have to have that conversation but now is not the time, especially when your oncologist remains optimistic," he replied. "I told her that we're getting married."

"Oh Lord, that isn't an over the phone conversation either. How did she take it?" Robyn covered her face, preparing to hear the worst. Their relationship was better but there's a difference between tolerating her due to a surprise illness and accepting her as a stepmother.

"Surprisingly well. She actually said she'd be in the wedding if it meant you got better," he revealed.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Definitely not the response she was expecting. Joe seemed a little shocked himself. "Oh, well if that's the case, I guess I'll have to get better, huh, so we can hold her to that."


	31. Chapter 31

Dr. Foster was leaning over Robyn in a mask when she woke. Joe was standing next to him with an unreadable expression.

She tried to sit up on her own but was too weak so she used the remote to raise the bed. "What's going on?"

"I just looked at the results of your last tests and despite all the measures we've taken, it's not enough. We're basically poking this thing with a stick and it's not budging," he explained.

"So does that mean higher doses of chemo and radiation?" she asked.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you here, Robyn. If we up the doses, it would probably kill you because your body won't be able to handle it."

Robyn gripped the railing of her bed tightly, too shattered to speak. After a moment, she sighed. "I've seen this movie before and I'm pretty sure this is the scene where you tell me there's nothing more you can do besides keep me comfortable, right?"

Dr. Foster and Joe exchanged a glance for a second before he came back to her. "Well, not necessarily. There is one last option that I was hoping to avoid…"

"Which is?" she raised a brow.

"We can perform surgery to remove what we can. There's a 50% chance everything will go well and what's left behind can be knocked out with light treatment. There's also a 50% chance that it'll spread to other places in your body once we open you up and that's what I'm afraid of. If it spreads there'll be nothing more I can do besides...keep you comfortable. It's a huge risk," he warned. "You don't have to answer right now. I can give you and Joe some time alone to think and discuss it."

"Ultimately this is your decision to make, Rob but I know what I'd choose…" Joe said.

Robyn nodded. "We don't need any extra time. If I don't get the surgery, I die. If I get the surgery and it spreads, I _still_ die but if there's a chance with this option, I want to take it. Let's do it! I basically have nothing to lose."

"Alright," Dr. Foster looked at the notepad he was holding. "We'll operate tomorrow at 7 AM."

It seemed as if time was racing by that night. Robyn called her parents to keep them in the loop and Joe notified management about the procedure.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"I'm nervous and scared of course but I'm just ready to get it over with so we can know how to move forward...if there is a forward to move on to," she answered. "What about you?"

"I'm feeling the same. Let's not stress over it, okay?" he replied. "Everything is going to be fine."

"But there's a 50% chance it won't be…"

"Robyn!" he hissed.

"Leati!" she hissed back. "We've been tiptoeing around it for months now. I know you want to remain optimistic until the bitter end but we're at it now. We have to treat death like a real possibility because it is."

Sighing heavily, Joe rolled his shoulders and sat back in the chair. "Well, first of all, I didn't like the 'I have nothing to lose' statement you made earlier to Dr. Foster. What about your life, the career you worked so hard for, your family, your friends, your fans...me. I can handle just about anything, as long as I have you in my life, which is why I remain optimistic because I don't want to think about a future without you. I just got you back in October after we got rid of Ricochet and Galina finally filed for divorce. We only had 3 good months together as an official couple before this happened so hell no I'm not acknowledging the possibility of losing you already! Now _if_ Dr. Foster walks back in here tomorrow after the surgery and tells us that he tried his best and there's nothing more he can do, _then_ we'll have that conversation and not a moment before."

"You have a grossly positive personality but I still love you," she smiled.

"And you're morbidly pessimistic but I still love you too," he pulled his chair closer to the bed and laid his head on her lap.

Robyn had a hard time sleeping that night but Joe on the other hand slept like a baby. She was waiting when the nurses came in at 6 to get her prepped for surgery. Then, Dr. Foster came in and described the procedure in detail while she grimaced at the mental images. He left the room, leaving her alone with Joe. Robyn stared at the ceiling. Her mind raced as she felt fear creeping up her spine.

She looked over at Joe. His head was bowed as if he was silently praying. She waited a few minutes before disturbing him. "Joe, I know sometimes when I'm asleep you go outside or over to visit your family but please stay here. I don't care if the surgery lasts 8 hours, I want to see your face when I wake up. If I wake up and see anyone else standing over me, I'll be convinced I died and the person that I'll be looking up at is part of the heaven welcome wagon or something. Maybe even hell, I did help you commit adultery that one time."

Joe laughed. "Stop it."

"I'm serious. That's one of the 10 Commandments. The 7th, I think," she chuckled. "I'm serious, though. Please don't leave me."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'm _never_ going anywhere. I promise. I'll be here," he assured her.

A nurse came in with a syringe and injected a sedative into Robyn's IV. She instantly felt relaxed and another nurse unlocked the hospital bed to start rolling her out. She felt herself starting to drift. "Can he walk with me?"

"Sure, he can walk with you until we make it to the operating room," one said.

Joe held her hand down the hallway, around the corner and down another hall. Her eyes were slowly closing when he let go and all she saw was the bright lights of the operating room.

A few hours later, Robyn slowly gained consciousness, the world around her drifting in and out of coherence. The room was quiet with the exception of the heart monitor beeping. The lights were dim and all she could make out was a shadow standing over her. Her eyes closed again and she went back to sleep.

Thirty minutes later, the same thing happened but this time, the lights were on and she could see clearer. Joe's grin brightened the room. "You better have some good news because a smile like that would be cruel just to tell me that the surgery was unsuccessful and I'm going to die."

"Quite the opposite. Dr. Foster spoke with me while you were in recovery. They removed at least 75 percent of the cancerous tissue and cells in your body. Now of course they're going to have to continue running tests and monitor you over the next few days to make sure it doesn't spread and if it doesn't, the chemo alone will be enough to knock it out. No need for radiation."

Robyn yawned, the anesthesia still hadn't worn off. "That's good."

Joe's smile didn't diminish. "No, that's _great. _You're on your way to beating this thing in maybe 2-3 months top."

"No, Joe. Together, me and you, beat it. I don't think I could've done this without you. You never faltered and was always there to give me strength where I was weak," Robyn moved her hand along the bed sheet and Joe put it into his palm.

"That's right, you and me," Joe squeezed her fingers gently. "I promised you I'd be here when you woke up, didn't I?"

"Yes," she nodded weakly.

"You get some rest, baby," he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Although things were looking up, she still hadn't told anyone about the outcome of surgery. She wanted to be 100% sure before letting the cat out of the bag to her loved ones. It was a week later when Dr. Foster returned.

"I just examined your scans and there's no sign of growth or spread to other areas of the body," he informed.

Robyn and Joe looked at each other at the same time, eyes locked. The joy on his face matched hers. Finally, she exhaled, knowing this whole ordeal was almost over. "What now?"

"We're going to give you four more weeks of treatment for what's left," Foster smiled before speaking his next sentence. "You have the option of staying here or Mr. Anoai can take you home."

She didn't need to think about it. "Mr. Anoa'i can take me home."


	32. Chapter 32

The lights in the room switched on abruptly.

Robyn was face down in the pillow. "No, Dad, I don't want to go to school."

"Well that's too damn bed," Joe said, snatching the sheets off. "It's the big day."

It was the moment of truth but still Robyn knew it could go either way. Thanks to the lighter treatment, she'd been feeling much more energetic and color was returning to her skin which was a good sign.

Robyn decided to make herself look decent with makeup and she'd ordered a few more wigs in the time she'd been home. Then they got dressed and were out the door.

"Whatever happens, I'll still be here for you, I'll still love you, I'm not going to promise that everything will be okay if it isn't what we want to hear... I don't know, but I'll continue to help you through it," Joe said as they closed in on Orlando.

"I know," she placed her hand on top of his on the armrest.

"Are you going to tell anyone if we get a good result?"

"Just management and the girls. I think I'm going to wait to tell the fans though," she decided. "I'm going to become more active on social media so they won't think I'm on my deathbed because there has been concern when I check my mentions but I won't confirm anything until I'm close to returning."

"I understand because this isn't like my situation where I got the result and was on Raw announcing it the next week. It's going to be a process for you and you don't need the added pressure of daily, '_when are you coming back' _comments."

"_Exactly_. I'll have to gain 20 pounds, turn that into muscle and get back into ring shape. Also, wigs are okay but I miss my own hair so hopefully I can manage to grow it out to at least a bob," she replied. "_But_, let's get through this appointment before we get ahead of ourselves."

Robyn went through the usual tests and then Dr. Foster was off to the lab to look at the results.

She took a nervous breath and shifted after what seemed like an unusually long time. "I don't recall the wait ever being this long, not even when it returned. He's probably trying to figure out a way to tell us that it's still here or spreading…"

"I usually call you out on the paranoia but it _has_ been a while. I'll go try to see what I can find out," by the time Joe stood, the door opened.

"I won't keep you any longer than I already have," Dr. Foster started. "I had to check and double check to be 100% certain before coming in here. I'm sure this has been pure hell for both of you over the last few months so I'm happy to announce that you're in remission."

A mixture of overwhelming emotions: happiness, relief, and hope poured through her. The only appropriate reaction was to cry. She even heard a few sniffles from Joe. In all the time they've been together she'd never even seen his eyes water but this was a monumental moment for both of them.

"It's over...it's finally over," she managed to say, hugging herself to him. "Now what?"

"I'll monitor you once a month for the first year and then every 3 months after that. Once you're physically up to it, you're free to return to the ring," Dr. Foster replied.

"Thank you for everything," Robyn said, hugging the oncologist. "No offense, but I don't want to see this place again until I'm required so we're getting out of here!"

On the way home, Joe took a detour over to Galina's house and pulled into the driveway. "I told G that if we swung by, that meant good news."

During the height of her treatment, Joe thought it would be best for him to go to them instead of having 2 young, loud boys running around the house disturbing her so she hadn't seen any of them in awhile.

Joe shifted into park and blew. Robyn unclicked her seatbelt and reached for the door. She felt nervous as if she was meeting them all again for the first time.

The twins were fighting over who carried the congratulations balloons but eventually it was let go and flew toward the sky.

"Oh well," Robyn shrugged, kneeling down to greet them.

"No, y'all can't climb on her like that," Joe scolded, taking into account that Robyn was still physically weak.

"It's okay, Joe," she said, giving them one last tight squeeze before letting go. Jojo was next. "Do you remember what you told your dad? I hope the offer still stands."

"I miss my room at your house and…" Jojo leaned close to Robyn's ear to whisper. "...I need to get away from the boys. When can I start coming back over?"

"Uhm, how about toda-"

"_Tomorrow_," Joe interrupted. "I'll pick you up in the morning and you can stay over there with us for as long as you want since school is out and we aren't on the road."

"Yeah, that works," Rob nodded, standing. "Galina…"

"Robyn…" she replied as they briefly embraced. "You're looking better already and just think...you were trying to give him back to me like you just knew it was over for you."

Joe raised a brow. "Wait, she was trying to do what?"

"N-nothing," Robyn stammered, turning him toward the car before he asked anymore questions. "It was nice seeing you guys but my appointment was at 8:30 and to make the drive we had to get up and get ready at 6. I'm tired."

"That's fine but I think you're forgetting something?" Galina said.

"What?" Robyn inquired before hearing panting and the rattling of a collar. _Midnight_ and he ran straight to her as she bent over to pick him up. He attacked with dog kisses and licks. "He's gotten so big now. I didn't know if he'd remember me by the time I got him back."

After a quick detour at the Pet Shop to buy more dog food since what they had was expired by now, they went home.

"Can I finally do stuff around the house?" even though her treatment in the last few weeks wasn't severe, he still wouldn't allow her to lift a finger.

"Yes but not today. I'm working on something," he revealed.

She looked at him suspiciously. "Something like what?"

"You'll see when it's ready…"

"I am so tired of this room, Joe. I picked out every piece of furniture in here and now I hate it after constantly looking at it!"

"Rob, if cancer couldn't take you out, a few more hours up here won't either. _Patience_," he asserted.

"Patience..." she grumbled.

Whatever he planned was going to happen outside but he seemed careful to keep it out of her view from the balcony when she tried to spy. She could also hear him moving what sounded like furniture which left her confused. Sometimes he'd take breaks in between and join her.

"Are you done yet because the anticipation is making me restless?"

"No, and it's presented better at night so even if I was done you'd have another hour or so to wait," and then he was gone again.

Bored, she decided to post on IG for the first time in months.

**robwwe: Hello! **

**Username1**: OMG, how are you?

**robwwe**: I'm okay.

**Username2: **Is that your hair? It's gotten so long.

**robwwe**: Shhh...it's a wig.

**Username3**: Please tell us you're coming back. We just lost Becky.

**robwwe**: This won't hold me down so I know a baby won't hold Becky down. It may not be immediately and there's no exact date set in stone but both of us will be back in the ring eventually.

**Username4**: Can we have an update on your health?

**robwwe**: There have been some good days and bad days during this journey. Today is a good one.

**Username5**: What's **romanreigns** doing?

**robwwe**: He's downstairs but I'm not exactly sure what he's doing? You guys should him and ask.

15 minutes later he came stomping up the stairs holding his phone. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" she batted her lashes, faking innocence.

"I have hundreds of mentions on both Twitter and IG asking me what I'm doing and I'm sure all those people aren't wondering that at the same time for no reason…"

"You're a pretty popular guy. Maybe they are," she shrugged. "Did you tell them?"

"No and I should put everything back the way it was because you don't know how to act! If you want to see it that bad that you can't wait, come on," he said, turning toward the door.

"Finally!" she followed him downstairs, through the kitchen and toward the patio door that led to the backyard where he paused.

"I was trying to wait until it was dark before bringing you out but you get what you get since you were so impatient."

She gasped when she saw the canopy bed from the guest room sitting in the yard surrounded by candles that were lit on the grass. The late evening was approaching dusk.

"This is actually perfect because we can watch the sunset and the sky as it gets dark," she hugged him. "I'm sorry for ruining it. This definitely would've been worth the wait."

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered, pretending to still be mad. She could see the smile he was trying hard to suppress. "I ordered food so it should be here soon."

"A bed outside. It's so simple yet so romantic…" Rob noted some time later.

"What are you more excited about? The wedding or the return," Joe asked.

"Without a question, the wedding. Who knows how many returns I'll have in the future whether it be from injury or something else. WWE will always be here, them running shows during the height of a pandemic is proof enough of that," she snorted. "We'll only have one wedding. Well, _I'll _only have one wedding since this'll be your second."

"When?"

"I shouldn't want it in 2020 at all because when I look back on this year...the cancer returning, both of us losing our Wrestlemania moments, COVID-19, people are dying, the world's fucked up right now. I can't think of many highlights besides the proposal and remission. Some people may not be able to think of one," she replied. "But to answer the question, I want it to be tropical so whenever it's safe for everyone to travel again and have large gatherings, it's on. And lord knows we need a large gathering for your huge family alone, not to mention my family, our coworkers and friends."

"I'm letting you know right now...Ricochet's name will not be on the guest list," Joe declares.

"You and this one sided never ending feud!" she sighed. "Are you going to be 90 something on your deathbed instructing me not to let him attend the funeral? You need to get over that because neither of us are thinking about the other. What if I said Galina wasn't welcome?"

"Well that's my ex-wife and mother of my children. Ricky is just someone you used to make me jealous…"

"It wasn't to make you jealous but it clearly did. I was lowkey flattered though. You being jealous meant you cared enough about me to be upset at a competitor."

"He wasn't competition," Joe waved it off. "I've gotten over that."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Besides the birth of my children, my wedding day should be the happiest day of my life. I don't want to glance into the crowd, see him and think of the roughest patch in our relationship: breaking up, you being angry with me all the time, you two ending up together as a result, the lies, the cheating."

"Okay, now _that _I get," she nodded. "In that case, we can't invite the whole company because it's going to be awkward explaining to him that he's not included. We'll just have to pick the ones we're closest to. But anyway, I've been looking at a lot of online wedding magazines and making a Pinterest board of stuff I might be interested in."

"So you're just not going to get my input on anything?"

"I was actually waiting on the good news before jumping the gun but since we got that this morning, what do you want?"

"My first wedding was on a Disney cruise so everything was already set but this time I want a few traditional Samoan dishes," he replied.

Rob paused for a few seconds, waiting for him to continue but he didn't. "That's it? Just food? No wedding song suggestions? Colors? Locations? Guests besides not Ricochet? Okay, I'll keep that in mind when looking for caterers."

"When are you going to announce the engagement?"

"Probably soon. I need to strike while everyone still thinks I'm sick so _that _section of your fanbase that only eased up because of my diagnosis won't act up on social media about it. My road to recovery needs to be as stress free as possible," it was then that she caught him staring at her. "What?"

"Just noticing how beautiful you look under the moonlight," Joe leaned over, she met him halfway to capture his lips and angled her body into his, feeling his heavy breathing. His large hand roamed up and down her back. As their kiss deepened, she felt his body begin covering her, flattening her to the bed.

"Okay, that's enough," she chuckled, pushing against his chest and he took the hint.

"Sorry, got a little carried away," he replied.

"We both did. Things got a little intense there for a minute..."

"You seemed to have a reaction so I take it your _feelings _are back?"

"I mean, I'm not ready to go yet which is why I stopped but there was a hint of desire which is something I haven't felt in a long time. I don't know how to explain it but there were a few times where you kissed me as you were leaving the house and I had no interest and only went through the motion because if I was my old self, that's what I'd do. This time I actually wanted to."

"Well that's progress but you need to get on Google or something to see if there's anything you can do or take to speed things up."

"I'm going to tell you what you told me earlier about being upstairs. If the last few months didn't take you out, a few more days or weeks won't either. _Patience_," she retorted.

"I love you," he rolled his eyes, pulling her to lay across his chest.

"I love you, too. Are we sleeping out here tonight?"

"Why not?" he shrugged.


End file.
